Posted: Saturday, March 21, 2009
Jennifer and 15-month-old Danny McCune of South Sioux City will be traveling to Washington, D.C., today to speak on the importance of paying attention to a baby's movements during the final months of pregnancy. Danny was born via emergency cesarean section after Jennifer noticed that he moved only once during an hour and went to see her doctor, who discovered that the umbilical cord had wrapped around Danny's neck four times. (Photo by Nick Hytrek)
SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Danny McCune acts like your regular 15-month-old little boy.
He chases around after his older brother, Jack. He plays with building blocks with his dad, Brandon. He crawls up on mother Jennifer's lap to look at a book.
But most toddlers aren't budding spokespersons, living examples of the importance of expectant mothers paying attention to warning signs during pregnancy.
For now, Jennifer does all the talking. On Tuesday, Jennifer, Danny and the family will sit with folks at the First Candle Research & Advocacy Symposium in Washington, D.C. Jennifer will tell their story, but Danny will be the center of attention.
"They're thrilled to have him out there because he is a success story," Jennifer said.
If not for his mother's glance at a magazine, Danny's outcome might have been different.
On Dec. 6, 2007, Jennifer was 37 weeks pregnant when she noticed her baby wasn't moving much, so she called her doctor. Three hours later, Danny was born via emergency C-section. The umbilical cord had been wrapped around his neck four times.
Jennifer credits her awareness to a magazine she saw in her doctor's waiting room a month earlier. In it was information about First Candle, a group working to reduce stillbirths and raise awareness for SIDS research. First Candle encourages pregnant mothers to count their unborn baby's movements. A lack of movement can be a sign of trouble, just as it was for Danny.
It can mean the difference between having two little boys chasing around in the living room and, well, Jennifer would rather not think of the alternative.
"Trying to imagine our life without Danny is just an unbearable thought," she said.
That's why after Danny's birth, Jennifer e-mailed First Candle to thank them for their campaign.
"That just put us on their radar as being one of their success stories," Jennifer said.
Since then, her testimony has been posted on the Web site of Count the Kicks, another group that encourages women to count their unborn baby's movements. Jennifer told them she'd be happy to help spread the word about kick counting.
"Even if one baby can be saved from it like Danny, then it's worth it," Jennifer said.
While in Washington, Jennifer, Danny and others will meet with legislators, encouraging them to provide funding for Count the Kicks and the establishment of a national stillbirth registry for research purposes.
It might just be the beginning of Jennifer and Danny's work.
Their names have been forwarded to Newsweek, which is working on a story about stillbirths. They may appear in a video for childbirth education classes for the Iowa Health Network. Jennifer will do whatever she can do to spread a message that can prevent infant deaths.
"It is rewarding," she said. "Danny is just kind of a reminder to them that their program works."
He's just not old enough yet to tell you himself.
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