When Amber and Josh Mattick of Rose Creek found out they were expecting a baby, they didn’t imagine their son Jaxson would be born prematurely and have complications the first few weeks of life.

The Mattick family was chosen to represent Mower and Freeborn County for the March of Dimes and March for Babies walk this year.

“When they asked us, they said that Jaxson’s smile is what really caught their eye and they wanted him to be the ambassador for 2015,” Amber said.

The family joined the March of Dimes with the team “Get in Action for Jaxson” after Jaxson was born Aug. 31, 2012. At the walk, organizers asked the Matticks if they wanted to be the ambassadors for 2015.

“It felt pretty good, because we couldn’t appreciate the March of Dimes more, because they are amazing,” Amber said. “And to have Jaxson acknowledged by them, it was pretty special.”

Josh was also excited to be a part of the event to help raise money and bring awareness.

“Just awareness for March of Dimes and what they do to help babies in need,” he said.

According to Amber, Jaxson was born at 36 weeks — or about one month early — and 15 hours after his birth was flown to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester where he stayed for about two weeks. Jaxson was hooked up to a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine to help him breathe, a feeding tube until he could eat on his own, and was placed in a biliblanket for his jaundice. At four days old, he was finally able to breathe on his own, and at 11 days old he ate from a bottle for the first time.

At 2 and a half years old, Jaxson is happy and healthy. The only thing he still battles is a weaker immunity system.

“It effected his immunity,” Amber said. “I mean even now he gets sick a lot more than other kids do. It just takes some time and he’ll be able to catch up and be like all the other kids his age.”

The Matticks are very grateful for the research and the progress the March of Dimes has provided to premature babies. Without the help they received, Josh said they’re lives would be much different.

“Well we’ve got our boy here with us so it means the world, I guess,” he said.

Amber is glad to give back to the organization that gave so much to her family. She said she didn’t even realize the organization did so much until they had Jaxson,

“We heard about it after Jaxson was born and realized that everything that helped save him was because of the March of Dimes,” Amber said. “The machines that were made, the research that was done, that was all because of the March of Dimes. So we decided we wanted to give back and be a part of that.”

“We’re excited that it’s for a good cause and doing what we can do to help out,” Josh added.

Now the family hopes to raise awareness for others.

“After going through this experience it just makes you realize how important every day in the womb is, and March of Dimes is trying to make it that every baby gets to stay in the womb for 40 weeks,” Amber said. “It feels good to be a part of that.”

March of Dimes/March for Babies funds research to find solutions to try to end premature births, as well as ways to help babies stay healthy and be born without birth defects. While the event was held in Austin the past years, this year it will move to the Mall of America in the Twin Cities on April 25.

The Mattick’s team will have about 20 people this year. Amber encouraged everyone to get involved and try to help babies get a healthy start.

“It’s really important to help when you can and not to let it take a bad experience in your life to want to help others,” she said.

Anyone who can’t make it to the event but would still like to donate can send donations to the March of Dimes office in Rochester at 1530 Greenview Drive SW #114, Rochester, MN 55902, or call them at 507-282-0649.