On the set of Fox & Friends with Gretchen Carlson and the 2011 National Ambassador Family.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since I was at the Fox News Studio getting ready to meet Gretchen Carlson and be on her Fox & Friends morning show.  Today I went back on the show to “pass the torch” to the 2011 National Ambassador – Lauren Fleming.  And boy was it fun!!! 

Ms. Gretchen is the nicest lady, and I think it’s so great how she supports the March of Dimes and talks about it on her show where so many people can see.  Today, Ms. Gretchen asked me if I had any advice for Lauren and this is what I said -

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4501991/march-of-dimes-announces-national-ambassador

It was fun to spend some time with Lauren and her family.  They are all so great and I know they will do a great job as the 2011 National Ambassador Family.

After the show I had so much fun talking to Ms. Gretchen about the Tooth Fairy!

In the Green Room (which was really red!) with the Flemings and Todd Dezen from the March of Dimes.

Friends for life!

Alex and I are sitting in the dryer. It's our best hiding spot yet!

Tomorrow morning Mom and I leave for New York.  It’s cold and snowy there.  It’s sunny and 80 degrees here.  But it’s going to be worth it!  We’re going to get to see Gretchen Carlson again and be on her morning show – Fox & Friends – on Wednesday morning.  8:50 AM.  EST.  So we’re all packed and ready to go.  Winter coats, gloves, and all.  I even did most of the classwork and homework I”m going to be missing in school.  I’m taking my math with me.  And my sketchpad and my iPod.  I’m all set!  Good night!

I had the best time wearing my Birthday Crown all day that my teacher gave to me.

Today is my 8th birthday and I had the best birthday ever!  I always get so excited when I wake up on my birthday because ever since I can remember, Mom and Dad blow up a whole bunch of balloons and put them all over the house.  It’s the neatest thing.  Usually there are lots of Happy Birthday signs, too, with different messages taped up on doors and walls.  This morning I opened my eyes and saw two balloons right away.  Oh boy!  Then I saw two signs.  One said “Happy Birthday Josh!” and the other said “Treasure Hunt – 8 clues lead you to a birthday treasure”.  How fun!  Alex and I get to go on a Treasure Hunt and find a hidden treasure all before school starts.  So off we went, one clue leading to another.  We took turns reading the clues and figuring out where to go next, and when we got to the last clue we both solved the puzzle together and found our treasure.  Mom’s delicious banana bread waiting for us in the kitchen to eat as my Birthday Breakfast.  So far this is the best birthday ever!  When I got to school and opened the door to my classroom, some of my friends shouted, “The Birthday Boy is here!”  Then my teacher gave me a Birthday Crown that I got to wear all day long.  It felt like the whole school said Happy Birthday to me.  Everywhere we went, everyone told me “Happy Birthday Josh.”  I felt so special and loved all of the attention.

At lunchtime, Mom brought in pizza for my whole class and then we had chocoloate chip muffins for dessert.  It was great fun.  Especially blowing out the Joshua candles after everyone sang Happy Birthday.  I had to do it fast or the smoke alarms might go off in the classroom.  So I made a wish real quick and then blew.

Birthday wishes are fun!

I had a lot of homework today so I needed to start it as soon as I got home so I could be done by the time Grandma and Papa came over to celebrate with us.  Dinner was one of my favorites – homemade mac and cheese.  And then for dessert we had homemade M&M cookies.  Everything was so perfect.  I was having a great day.  Then it was time to open presents.  I couldn’t believe it when I opened the last gift – it was an iPod Touch.  My very own iPod!  I always wanted one but never told anyone.  And now I have one and I’m so excited.  This is definitely the best birthday I’ve ever had.

My very own iPod!

I don’t want my birthday to end.  But it’s late and I need to get some sleep for school tomorrow.  After all I’m 8 years old now and there’s lots more puzzles to solve and treasures to be found.

Don't my sport glasses look like an "8"?

Today was filled with lots of #1′s.  It’s 1/11/11.  Cool!  And it’s the night before my 8th Birthday.  Mom’s bringing in Pizza tomorrow for my whole class during lunch.  So we wrote down in our Assignment Books today  ”Pizza Lunch for Joshua’s Birthday tomorrow – Don’t bring lunch” and all my friends said, “Hooray!  It’s Josh’s Birthday!!!”  My friends are all #1 – the best!!!

Tomorrow I turn 8.  If you turn the 8 sideways, it looks like my glasses.  Mom told me when I was a baby, the doctors told her and Dad when I turned 8, good things would happen.  Mom said it felt like eternity back then and she can’t believe it’s really here already.  I asked her what kinds of good things would happen.  She said when I turn 8, a lot of the things they didn’t know for sure they would know for sure.  So I guess that means that everything I’m doing now should stay this way.  Hopefully no more surprises like when I was born so early!  But there are going to be lots of surprises for my birthday tomorrow!  Mom told me she has a few things planned so I can’t wait to finish sleeping so I can wake up and have a fun 8th Birthday filled with only birthday surprises!

I might be a micro-preemie but I'm so strong

I was so excited when I got back to school after Winter Break and found out we were going on a fieldtrip this week.  It was a special fieldtrip that only the students who reached their Accelerated Reader reading goals could go on.  I reached my goals both quarters in the fall so I got to go. It wasn’t easy, though.  The way the reading program works is you have to read books at your reading level and then take quizzes on them on the computer.  You get points depending on your quiz score.  There’s a certain number of points you have to get to reach your goal.  In the beginning of the year I was so busy getting used to being in 2nd Grade and I was also very busy traveling to different March of Dimes events so I missed lots of school.  I hadn’t gotten any points toward my goal for like six weeks and then all of a sudden I realized I might not make it.  That’s when I started to read a book every night and take the quizzes the next day.  The books were pretty long, they’re all chapter books, and one day I even took three quizzes!  It was really close but I made my goal and my whole class cheered for me.  It was really cool!  Anyways, I brought the permission slip home for mom to sign so I could go on the fieldtrip.  It was to the movies, but what I didn’t notice was that the movie we were going to see was in 3D.  My vision doesn’t allow me to see 3D.  That’s because I’m a preemie and I have ROP so as my dad says, I have monocular vision.  I’ve tried to watch a 3D movie.  Over the summer, one of our camp fieldtrips was to a 3D movie so I went, put on the glasses, but it didn’t work for me.  Oh well.  I guessed I just wouldn’t be able to go on the fieldtrip this time.  But that’s not what mom said.  She got on the phone and texted and emailed and even said yes to us when Alex and I asked if we could have a 3rd cup of chocolate milk.  Wow.  She never let’s us have more than one cup.  That’s because she wasn’t listening.  She was so busy talking to a whole bunch of people and figuring out a way that I could still go on the fieldtrip and see a movie.  So here’s how it turned out – the principal said it was okay for me to go with the 4th graders who were going to see a different movie that wasn’t in 3D, and I could bring a friend so I wouldn’t have to go alone.  My friend Pierre said he would be happy to go with me because he didn’t want me to have to go by myself.  He’s my best friend, and we had the best time at the movies together with the 4th graders.  Yes, I’m a preemie but nothing can stop me from doing things like everyone else.  And I love my mom so much for always figuring out the answers.

Thank you March of Dimes for saving my life.

It’s hard to believe that this is the last day of 2010 and my last official day as the 2010 National Ambassador for the March of Dimes. Wow! I had the most awesome year!!!

Mom has been asking me for a day or two, ok, maybe it’s been at least a week, to start writing my blog for December 31st. I said I would and every time she asked me how it’s going I’d say “Great, Mom!” She’d smile and say she can’t wait to see it. This morning when she told me she’s ready to take a peek at what I wrote, I froze. I must have turned green because she nearly dropped her coffee and ran over to me like I was going to be sick or something. The truth is, I hadn’t written a word. Not because I was procrastinating which Mom tells me I’m quite good at, but because I just didn’t know what to say. How could I put my entire year, highlights from the 19 states and 55 cities we visited, some more than once or twice, into a blog? Or maybe there’s more?

What if I just don’t want it to end?

I know this year is going to be pretty hard to top. But maybe I’m just getting started. I’m 7 years old, well, I’ll be 8 years old in just 12 days.  I now know the story of how I was born four months early and how I almost didn’t live.  I also know how lucky I am to be alive. So I decided I want to give back for every day I’ve been given. That’s why as the National Ambassador for the March of Dimes I tried to fight hard for preemies like me. In many of the speeches I gave, I told everyone about my wish. My wish is that one day soon babies will not be born early and all babies will be born healthy.

I really believe wishes can come true. Thanks to the March of Dimes, I survived. And to all those doctors who said I would probably never be able to walk, talk, see, or hear, I proved them all wrong.  My year as the 2010 National Ambassador may end today on December 31st but I’m not leaving the March of Dimes – the March of Dimes has become part of our family – and our family pledges to keep fighting for preemies. I fought hard to survive, and that fighting spirit will never go away in me.

I’d like to end with one last thought. It’s a quote I heard that I’ve shared in some of my speeches I’ve given these past months. It’s by Charlie Brown and he said, “In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.”

Even though my life was a little rough in the beginning, all I remember is everything I’m doing now. I hope I’m helping to save other babies so they can be born healthy like my little brother Alex was. I hope I’m helping other families so they don’t have to go through all the scary things my family went through with me. I know how lucky I am with my whole life ahead of me and I wouldn’t trade places with anyone in the world!

On behalf of all of my fellow preemies and all babies – THANK YOU MARCH OF DIMES FOR SAVING OUR LIVES…and for giving us the chance to grow up, reach for the stars, and watch our wishes come true.

Happy New Year to you all.  May all your wishes come true, too.

Love always,

Josh

Today was a very special day.  November 17 marks the 8th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day, and we flew to Washington, DC yesterday to do a Satellite Media Tour today! 

I have never done one of these kinds of TV and radio interviews but I practiced at home the night before we left so I would know exactly what to expect in the studio.  My dad set up a camera on a tripod, then he put an earbud in one ear, then he left the room and asked me questions through my ear and I had to look at the camera the whole time I was talking.  It was very funny but I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

So I was all set for the TV interviews in 15 different cities all over the country.  I even brought a map of the U.S. and before each interview Rebecca Smith, who was with us from the National Office circled the city we were talking to so I would know where they were.  It worked out great!

In the Green Room preparing for our TV interviews with Dr. Scott Berns, Todd Dezen, and Dr. Fleischman all from the National Office in New York.

Having some good laughs with Rebecca Smith from the National Office in New York.

Before our first interview at 9 AM we got to meet a very special person.  The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, was at the studio being interviewed about Prematurity Awareness Day before us.  The Surgeon General also did a PSA abot prematurity awareness for the March of Dimes.  She is the nicest lady and she gave me a special gold coin from the U.S. Public Health Service.  I’m going to keep that coin forever! 

With Dr. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, the U.S. Surgeon General, and Dr. Fleischman, Medical Director for the March of Dimes, on the set in the studio just before our Satellite Media Tour started.

Then it was time for our Tour to begin.

I took a picture of this before we went "On Air"!

Getting all hooked up with an ear piece in my ear and a microphone on my tie.

This is what we saw when we were talking to each city during our TV interviews. There were cameramen at each camera but we couldn't really see them and the TV hosts from each show we were being interviewed for were on their own sets in their own city talking to us through our ear pieces!

We're On Air and sharing our story to promote as much awareness as possible about prematurity.

By the end of the 15th interview, we were pretty exhausted.  It was time to head back to the airport to fly back home.  What a day, what a trip.  It’s so great to know that many states are improving their prematurity grades – the rate is dropping a little bit – and like I said on TV when I was being interviewed, I sure hope that all states get an A+ on their Prematurity Report Cards next year like I try to get in school.  Then that would mean that all babies are not born early and are born healthy

A most memorable family photo on the Red Carpet in L.A.

What a fantastic weekend we had celebrating babies L.A.-style!  Saturday was a beautiful day in Beverly Hills, and when we arrived at the 5th Annual Celebration of Babies event, we got to walk on the Red Carpet and there were photographers everywhere!  They were all telling us to look at their cameras, we heard a lot of clicking and saw lots of flashes.  We just kept smiling and looking and it was so very cool!  Then we did a whole bunch of TV interviews one after another right down the line.  That was so much fun!  With all the pictures and interviews we felt like celebrities!

Then we met some of the real celebrities who were there.  Some of them we already knew because we met them at the BABIES movie premiere in May, and it was so great to see them again at another March of Dimes event.  Many of them are what they call March of Dimes Moms and they are the some of the coolest and most down-to-earth moms I’ve ever met!

Julie Bowen was tickling me so hard I couldn't stop laughing! She's so much fun and she is one of the coolest Moms ever!

Kellie Martin and her precious daughter Maggie were bidding on some of the awesome toys and games at the Silent Auction.

Chef Rock - our buddy from Washington, DC - was there and told everyone when he was on stage talking about his children that his third child's name is "Last". My Mom and Dad are still laughing about that one!

We had a fun chat with Ian Ziering and his wife Erin. Erin was a nurse in the NICU when she was in nursing school so we had a lot to talk about. My Nana Sheila lives in L.A. (Dad grew up there!) so she was able to join us, as well.

Kelly Price asked if she could take a picture with me. I said "Sure!"

Dr. Amy Stenson was one of the people who was honored with an award for her great service to improving the health of babies. She travels all over the world and had some really inspiring stories to share. I thought her award was beautiful just like she is inside and out for all of the amazing work she does in our world.

After I gave my speech, someone yelled out, “Josh for President!”  Wow!  And then Alex and I got to go back on stage and pick some winning raffle tickets. 

Kellie Martin was asking us before we picked the raffle ticket what our favorite subjects were in school. I said mine was Spelling and Alex said his was Math.

Angele Price, Executive Director of the March of Dimes L.A. Chapter and Ronald Berryman, President of the Board. They did a really great job heading up the creation of this event.

Celebrating the day we had with a goofy pose from Alex and a rose from me and our Lauren Perlmutter, Director of Volunteer Leadership, from the March of Dimes National Office.

The day was one of the most special moments and events I will remember always.  But do you want to know the most amazing part of it all?  Through all of my travels, I have met so many amazing people, most of them are volunteers, who all believe in the March of Dimes like I do and are helping us fight hard for preemies.  No matter who those people are in their jobs – whether they’re CEO’s and Presidents of big companies, Congresspeople, doctors and nurses, athletes, celebrities – the one thing I noticed that every person has in common is a huge heart.  And their hearts are filled with so much love, compassion and devotion to the March of Dimes and the mission we are all trying to accomplish – a day when all babies are born healthy.

We’re off to L.A. this morning to go to the Celebration of Babies event at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills tomorrow.  Samantha Harris from Entertainment Tonight will be the host of the luncheon, and many March of Dimes Moms are expected to be there, too.  There are so many different ways people all over the country are honoring Prematurity Awareness Month this month.  Gotta go catch our flight!  Will let you know all about the event when we get back home.  Have a great weekend

When I was doing a radio interview on Friday afternoon with Mike Mullaney of Boston’s 104.1, he asked me who was the most important person I have met as the National Ambassador (besides him!)? I know what he expected me to say – when we met President Obama in February – but the truth is, everyone I have met this whole year has been so very important because they all are helping us fight for preemies so all babies can be born healthy!

Hosting the 104.1 Sunday morning radio show while radio host Mike Mullaney looks on. LOL! Just kidding! This is us having a great time after a fun radio interview.

We got to see Kathy Boggan, Senior Vice President of Volunteer Leadership at the March of Dimes because she was in Boston, too! Behind Kathy is Elizabeth Dunn, Communications Director of the Massachusetts Chapter, and Josh is sitting on Rebecca Smith's (from the National Office) lap!

Friday night was the FDR Gala in Boston. It’s an event that has been happening for many years and each year the Massachusetts Chapter of the March of Dimes honors a distinguished citizen with the FDR Humanitarian Award. This year the award went to Mr. James Roosevelt, Jr., President and CEO of Tufts Health Plan and grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Founder of the March of Dimes!

I had a chance to meet Mr. James Roosevelt, Jr., and he was such a wonderful and kind man. He told me he goes to Florida, where we live, a lot! We both agreed it’s a very beautiful place. I think it’s so wonderful how he is carrying on the Roosevelt legacy of philanthropy, and he definitely deserves the award given to him.

Our family was so honored to be in a photo with Mr. James Roosevelt, Jr., Jane Massey, COO at March of Dimes, and Ed Doherty, Massachusetts State Director.

Mr. Roosevelt and I agreed with a firm handshake that we will keep fighting hard for preemies so one day soon all babies will be born healthy!

I also met Kim Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins and last year’s FDR Humanitarian Award recipient.  We talked about how she has twins and a third child and how they were all full term babies! They’re a little older than me and Alex but it sounds like they have a routine that they stick to like Alex and I do. Then we laughed how it was already past our bedtime.

I had a fun time chatting with Kim Jacobs, Owner of the Boston Bruins.

Mom and I spoke at the beginning of the program, and in my speech, I talked about how the money raised goes into March of Dimes research that develops treatments that helped save my life and helps babies be born healthy. One of the examples I gave was surfactant, which is a treatment I received when I was first born and if I didn’t I wouldn’t have been able to take a single breath.

I never imagined out of all the people I have met this year that one of them would be the person who actually helped invent surfactant! Dr. Jonathan Davis is Chief Neonatologist at Tufts Medical Center, and he is one of the inventors of surfactant. My Mom and Dad were so moved by his presence that they were speechless at first, and then they couldn’t stop thanking him.  They only hope they showed Dr. Jonathan Davis how truly grateful they are to this important man and his team for truly saving my life.

A huge hug for Dr. Jonathan Davis, one of the doctors who invented surfactant and really saved my life.

Jane Massey will always and forever be one of my favorite people.

The next morning we woke up and it was Alex’s 6th Birthday!  Boy did he have the best Birthday in Boston and so did we!  Our visit in Boston meeting so many more incredible people and seeing so many new things is a time we will treasure forever.

We took the Freedom Trail to the North End.

We toured the USS Constitution, the oldest warship afloat.

We went to lunch at the Oyster House - the oldest restaurant in America!

Saw soldiers in Quincy Market!

Collected lots of Fall leaves at Harvard University!

And had Boston Cream Pie with a candle in it. We all sang Happy Birthday and had a sweet and yummy ending to an awesome and special trip!