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CNN Saturday Morning News
March of Dimes Hosts Walk America
Aired April 28, 2001 - 08:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JASON CARROLL, CNN ANCHOR: This weekend, the annual March of Dimes Walk America will take place in 1,400 communities all across the country. Tomorrow, thousands of people are expected in Washington, D.C. to show their support in the fight to save babies.
Actress Vanessa Williams is the voluntary celebrity spokeswoman this year. We welcome her from Washington, D.C. Also from Washington, we welcome six-year-old Justin Washington. Hi, there. He's the national ambassador for the 2001 March of Dimes Walk America. And he's joined by his mother, Dorenda Washington. Good morning to all of you. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
JUSTIN WASHINGTON, 2001 NATIONAL AMBASSADOR: Good morning.
DORENDA WASHINGTON, JUSTIN'S MOTHER: Good morning.
VANESSA WILLIAMS, CELEBRITY SPOKESWOMAN: Good morning.
Good morning.
CARROLL: Let's start and just fill me in. Are you all excited about tomorrow's walk?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Yes.
WILLIAMS: Yes, we're so thrilled. We've been here all, I was here all day yesterday doing radio promotions and we're just really excited about meeting everyone and raising money for this wonderful cause.
CARROLL: Well, Vanessa, how did you get involved with the March of Dimes? Tell us about that.
WILLIAMS: Well, I was approached by the March of Dimes. I had actually a friend working in one of the New York offices and she knows I love babies and the March of Dimes loves babies. So it was a, it's a wonderful match.
CARROLL: Dorenda, your son Justin is a living example of why the March of Dimes is so important. Why don't you just go back and explain for us what you went through during your pregnancy?
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Oh, god. Justin was born four months premature and he weighed only a pound and a half. He was no bigger than a can of soda. For four months we lived on what we call our emotional roller coaster. There were so many chances that they told us that Justin would not survive, but he did. That's why this year is special to us and supporting the March of Dimes for saving babies like Justin.
CARROLL: And this year the March of Dimes is focusing on preventing premature births, isn't that correct?
WILLIAMS: That's right, Jason, and what we may not know is that many, many, a disproportionate number of African-American families are affected by premature births. And so it was really important to us as African-Americans to spread the word to everyone, but particularly people in our community.
CARROLL: All right, let's bring in Justin in all, in this discussion. Justin, can you hear me there?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Yup.
CARROLL: Can you tell me what the March of Dimes is all about?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: The March of Dimes helps sick babies and saves their lives.
CARROLL: Very good.
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: And some babies didn't make it to the NICU and some survived.
CARROLL: Justin, do you remember when you were much smaller and very sick? Do you remember any of that?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Yeah.
CARROLL: Can you tell me about some of it.
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: That I was in the NICU and -- first I was in the NICU and when, then, and they brought me to the other NICUs and other NICUs and then I...
WILLIAMS: What's wonderful about the NICUs is that because of the March of Dimes research and March of Dimes dollars, there's a NICU in every city around the country so that no baby like Justin is going, every baby will make it and the research and the dollars that the March of Dimes has raised with a great fund-raiser like Walk America has saved his life, literally saved his life.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Exactly. And one of the good things is before NICUs were developed, 80 percent of babies born premature did not survive. And since NICUs have been in existence, 90 percent of babies that make it to the NICUs are surviving. So we've got to get out and support Walk America. This is one of their biggest weekends this week.
WILLIAMS: This is in its 31st year...
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Exactly.
WILLIAMS: ... and it's a big party. There'll be music and food. Today, actually, some of the walks are happening in Los Angeles and in Atlanta.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Right.
WILLIAMS: And, of course, we're walking tomorrow so we want people to -- there's still time to register. We'll be starting at the Washington Monument and we want people to meet us there at eight o'clock to register and walk and then even after the walk is over you can still raise -- send money to Walk America. So it's going to go on even after the fact.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun and a good way to save so many babies. I think any mother that has ever had a child, you've been touched by the March of Dimes. Just even a healthy baby, the PKU tests, all the tests that are developed for healthy babies, you benefit as well. So we want every mother, every father, anybody even expecting to have children to come out and support Walk America so that every baby is born healthy.
CARROLL: I just want to point out for the folks out there, you guys keep talking about NICU. That's the neonatal intensive care unit. So we should make that clear for everyone out there.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: That's correct.
CARROLL: But, you know, I'm wondering, with all the medical advancements, do you think people sort of forget the need to have something like the March of Dimes?
WILLIAMS: I think they certainly can, which is why this walk is really important, even our being here, and we thank you for having us, is important to get the word out to know what the March of Dimes does. It's also a wonderful resource center. Also, the March of Dimes has been really effective in spreading the word about folic acid because, as you know, the March of Dimes is interested in all birth defects.
This year's focus is premature births, but March of Dimes wants to wipe out birth defects across-the-board and we know that for any woman who's child bearing age, they need to take folic acid because there needs to be a store of it in your body before you become pregnant to prevent premature birth, perhaps, because that's still a mystery as to exactly why.
But certainly a number of birth defects have been completely linked to folic acid.
CARROLL: I want to switch back to the little ambassador there for just a moment.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Yes.
CARROLL: Justin, can you tell me, how excited are you about tomorrow's walk? JUSTIN WASHINGTON: I'm really excited. I want to get out there and walk.
WILLIAMS: And he's met my son and they've bonded and so we'll all be walking.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Oh, they make a real difference, yeah. The whole family. Our family and Vanessa Williams her family will all walk together. It's for a great cause.
CARROLL: Well, I know that the March of Dimes has is also really stressing the need for prenatal care as well. Can you talk to us about that?
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Exactly. It's like Vanessa was saying, we've got to kind of come in on the front end and get mothers healthier, take prenatal care, folic acid, like she said, and just kind of doing everything we can to ensure that, you know, all the babies are born healthier.
WILLIAMS: And educate ourselves.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Exactly.
WILLIAMS: Take responsibility for your own health, use the March of Dimes as a resource. There's a resource center. There's lots of different educational tools out there and we need to take full advantage of this, too, so that every baby is healthy.
CARROLL: Now, I did a little research here. I know that last year the March of Dimes raised more than $80 million. This year, the goal is to raise about $96 million. You're obviously going to need a lot of help from donations. Tell us about how people can help out.
WILLIAMS: Well, they can still call. They can still come out and march tomorrow, as I said, at eight o'clock. There's a number to call, 800-525-WALK and also we're going to take, we're going to keep taking dollars after the walk is complete, as well.
CARROLL: And we've got...
WILLIAMS: There'll be like nine million people walking. There's expected to be -- rather, nine million people as walkers and volunteers all for, around this cause, but we're expecting about 500,000 walkers in total.
CARROLL: And Vanessa, we put the number right up there on the screen so people can take that down if they want to, if they want to help out.
WILLIAMS: Oh, great.
CARROLL: Also, it's still not too late to participate. As you said, tomorrow's walk will be taking place in Washington, D.C. How can people get together, register, get out and walk if they want to do that? DORENDA WASHINGTON: Well, you can also check the Web site. There's walks going on today, Saturday, in, what, Los Angeles, Atlanta...
WILLIAMS: Atlanta.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: This is the big walk weekend. So even if you can't make it out on Sunday, check your local area for when the walk is actually happening.
WILLIAMS: But we'll be at the monument at eight o'clock tomorrow registering people so come on down. We're expecting you.
CARROLL: All right, Mr. Ambassador, Justin, do you have any final comments for us here?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Yes.
CARROLL: What are they?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Let's save sick babies together.
CARROLL: OK, great.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: All right.
CARROLL: All right, now, that sounds like a perfect ambassador, looking very sharp there in those glasses.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Doesn't he?
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Thank you.
CARROLL: All right, we want to thank all three of you, Vanessa Williams.
WILLIAMS: Thank you.
CARROLL: Justin Washington and his mother.
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Thank you.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Thank you so much for having us.
CARROLL: Thank you so very much for joining us this morning. Take care and good luck tomorrow in the walk.
WILLIAMS: Thank you.
DORENDA WASHINGTON: Thank you.
JUSTIN WASHINGTON: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: OK, he is absolutely adorable.
CARROLL: He's great, isn't he? PHILLIPS: He is precious.
CARROLL: The perfect ambassador.
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