Active and smiley kindergartener Dax Kitashiro's origin story began when he was born unexpectedly at 27 weeks (full-term is 39-40 weeks), underwent emergency surgery, and grew in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 113 days.
“There were a lot of tears, prayers, and wishes to keep our little fighter strong,” Dax's mom, Michelle, explains. “And like any superhero, he improved and got stronger every day with the expert guidance of our medical team.”
Today, Dax loves user-created experience games, playing sports like soccer, and spending time with his family. His parents are immensely proud of how far he’s come. They're grateful for the medical professionals, resources, family, and friends who supported them through the most trying days.
Dax is a healthy kindergartener today. Photo courtesy the Kitashiro family.
The Kitashiros are HMSA members and served as this year’s March of Dimes ambassador family at the March for Babies community walk on April 25. March for Babies is March of Dimes’ largest annual fundraiser and advocacy event, bringing communities together to support health outcomes for moms, babies, and families.
The Kitashiro family at the March for Babies. Photo by HMSA.
HMSA was a sponsor of the walk and assembled a team of more than 180 employees and their guests. Jen Awakuni, assistant vice president of Medicaid Programs, serves on the March of Dimes board of directors and attended the event. Awakuni has served on the board for the past three years and, as a mom of a young son, is inspired by the families that the organization has impacted.
See Team HMSA at the March for Babies:
Who do they walk for?
The Kitashiros participated in the March for Babies in support of their superhero Dax and other babies and families that have gone through or will need the NICU.
In 2019, the Kitashiros were ecstatic to learn that they'd be welcoming a rainbow baby boy after challenges conceiving. Rainbow babies symbolize hope, joy, and beauty after a challenging time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6.1 million women in the U.S. ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. Infertility can be caused by many factors, including male, female, or unknown and unexplained issues.
About three months before their due date, Michelle began experiencing swelling in her legs and feet and didn’t feel right. Her blood pressure was 170/110, well above the normal range of 120/80. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition in which high blood pressure develops and can affect the body’s organs, including the liver and kidneys.
Michelle’s preeclampsia symptoms progressed quickly, and she developed HELLP or hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome, a disorder of the liver.
After developing pneumonia and an infection, the hospital team advised that it would be safest for Michelle to deliver early. Dax was born weighing less than 2 pounds and measuring 12 inches long. “I got a glimpse of my baby before he was rushed to the NICU,” Michelle shares.
Specialized care from the NICU
Over the next few days, Michelle stayed in the hospital to recover from her delivery. Her husband was recovering from a virus, so they were both not allowed to see their baby right away.
“The first time I was able to see Dax in the NICU was surreal. He was so tiny and had so many tubes and wires on him. I was honestly so scared, but he was a fighter. In the beginning, I was nervous to even touch his little toes, but eventually became confident to take his temperature, change his micro-preemie diapers, and give him small amounts of milk swabs,” she says.
Two weeks later, the Kitashiros received a call from the neonatologist (NICU doctor) that Dax needed emergency surgery because he had air pockets around his intestines. Part of his intestine was affected by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a common and serious intestinal disease among premature babies. His successful surgery to remove 2 inches of the damaged intestinal area required lots of precision.
After the surgery, Dax slowly gained weight and advanced to needing less breathing support. He passed various vision, heart, and other tests. He “graduated” from the NICU just before Christmas, weighing 6 pounds.
Dax the NICU graduate. Photo courtesy the Kitashiro family.
Heartfelt gratitude
The Kitashiros are proud to be the March of Dimes’ ambassador family and are very grateful to the team at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children and the March of Dimes for their support.
“We would not be where we are today without the loving and caring support of the doctors and nurses at Kapiolani Medical Center, organizations like March of Dimes, our family and friends, and especially the perseverance of our little guy Dax, who we love so very much,” said Michelle.
“By supporting evidence-based research, clinical guidelines, and ongoing education on the latest advancements in premature and infant care, March of Dimes helps to improve outcomes for families like ours every day. They also gave us a community that we can continue to reach out to and support,” Michelle says.
Learn more about the Kitashiros at marchforbabies.org.
Resources
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association estimates that pregnancy and childbirth complications increased for women in the U.S. by 9% between 2018 and 2020. The association is committed to reducing maternal health disparities by making sure pregnant individuals, new parents, and babies get the support they need during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
Learn more about urgent maternal warning signs that can occur during pregnancy and in the year after delivery at fepblue.org.
Hero and thumbnail photos by HMSA.
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Explore more stories about supporting families, celebrating tiny milestones, and finding strength during life’s earliest challenges.
