CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- After two years of virtual or smaller gatherings, the March of Dimes was back in person in Grant Park Sunday morning with its annual March for Babies.
Grant Park was full of parents this morning – honoring the lives and losses of premature babies.
The first time Jamie and Mike Knapstein of Arlington Heights attended a Walk for Babies, they had just lost twin girls who were born at 21 weeks, which left them anxious to find a way to channel their grief.
"You're giving back to something that makes you feel good versus kind of sitting in that sorrow, feeling like there's nothing you can do," Jamie said.
She also said that experience has helped them and their relatives who were also looking for a way to contribute.
"There were so many people there that we could relate to-that shared the same kind of stories and experiences that we did. It was also awesome that we had our family and our friends rallying behind us."
That family now includes 7-year-old twins Aubrey and Isla and their 3-year-old sister Everly-all who were in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit as premature babies and are doing well now.
Jamie Knapstein and her family (pictured center) were among those who participated Sunday in the March of Dimes' March at Grant Park.Jamie Knapstein
