March of Dimes March for Babies coming

The annual Mississippi County March of Dimes Walk for Babies is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, May 12, at Walker Park.

While most participants usually have a child in their family that was born premature, some people just feel the need to help the cause.

Such is the case with Bobbie McClean. McClean is a media specialist for the Blytheville Public Schools working at both the charter school as well as the Kindergarten and First-Grade building. McClean, who has two healthy boys, Kyle and Drake, has been involved with the March of Dimes since 2007.

"A friend of mine, Donnie Snider, had a son who was born premature and was friends with my son Kyle. So, I decided to walk and have a team. It was just me and my mom and Kyle the first year," McClean said.

The following year, she had the entire Cub Scout Pack 95 in Gosnell participating in the walk. This year, her team is named "Baby Drake" after her youngest son. During her pregnancy with Drake, she was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma.

"I had a blood hemorrhage and the doctors said that there was nothing they could really do about it," she said. "So we prayed about it, and he came out healthy."

It was this experience, along with others, that showed McClean that sometimes we don't always have to be affected directly by something to help a cause.

"We can't always wait until we've been touched by something or affected by it," she said. "We need to get out ahead of the problem."

McClean said her experiences teaching in the classroom helped lead her to the decision to take a larger roll with March of Dimes.

"Our care for children starts way before they get to the classroom," she said. "Drake was born healthy. Kyle was born healthy. I have no one in my family born premature. People ask me why I do it. I guess I just feel that this is a calling for me. It's not just premature babies. It's healthy babies. They (March of Dimes) fought polio. How many families were touched by polio years ago?"

Along with the annual walk, McClean has helped organize bake sales with the Cub Scouts, yard sales and has helped get the Blytheville School District involved as well.

"'Jeans Day' has been approved throughout the district," she said. "It's approved, but each school principal is responsible for setting up the exact date."

Blue Jeans for Babies is one of the campaigns created by March of Dimes. Members of organizations where blue jeans on a certain day to draw awareness to what the March of Dimes does for children.

This year, Blytheville Primary Jeans Day was April 5, the middle school is scheduled for April 20, the high school is April 27 and the charter school will participate on April 30.

McClean hopes that her children are learning about the importance of having compassion for others.

"It hasn't happened to me, but you hear about the stories that people go through," she said. "From not being able to hold their own newborn baby for weeks or having to go home while your child stays in the hospital. It's terrible. I can't imagine going through that."

For more information on March of Dimes, go to www.marchforbabies.com or call 1-870-932-0300.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com