EASLEY — While most businesses and families always render their support to the March of Dimes March for Babies, no one truly understands the importance of this organization until they are holding in their arms a tiny baby born prematurely, or caring for an infant who entered this world with birth defects, or attending the funeral of their little son or daughter whose parents had only precious minutes in which to hold the tiny fingers with their own.

Kim Smith, and her husband, Nate, of Easley, know first hand the significance of March of Dimes. Fifteen months earlier, their son, Evan, was born three months prematurely.

And while Evan was clinging to life in the neonatal unit of Greenville Memorial Hospital, their tiny son contracted bacterial meningitis, leaving him in a serious 11-week fight for his life and leaving the tiny boy with severe brain damage.

“Evan was born healthy, as healthy as a 28-week preemie can be,” Kim Smith said. “But his immunity was weakened, which is what preemies face, and that’s when he contracted bacterial meningitis.”

During the almost three months Evan remained in the neonatal unit, representatives of the March of Dimes were along side the Smith family, offering different crafts to make the long hours of waiting pass a bit more quickly, filling the waiting room with snacks and drinks, handing out information and educational packets to parents to help them understand both the medical side of a premature baby, as well as a more personal side, and – most importantly – giving support to parents much in need of a helping hand, Smith said.

“My active role in March of Dimes is my way of giving back to them,” she said. “They were there for us the entire time Evan was in the NICU.”

And last year’s March of Dimes March for Babies was the first time the Smith family walked, Kim Smith told a group of business leaders gathered to kick off the 2009 March for Babies event in Easley.

“Evan has a rough road ahead of him,” Smith said. “But we just love him and he’s the reason we walk.”

Wearing a baby blue tee shirt with “Evan’s Family” printed boldly across the back that she and her family and friends wore in the 2008 March for Babies, Smith said that she had learned much during the past 12 months about the March of Dimes and its goal in preventing premature births, birth defects, and infant mortalities.

“It’s when it hits home,” Smith said. “That’s when you start to understand.”

Erin Reid, Community Director of the local chapter of the March of Dimes, said that the March for Babies is the organizations largest fundraiser.

“The full walk will be six miles, but there will be cut-throughs for families with kids who can’t do the full walk,” Reid said.

In addition, area businesses will be hosting bake sales, and blue jean Fridays, where employees can purchase a badge allowing them to wear the comfortable pants to work, in a fund-raising effort, she said.

“There are all kinds of ways businesses can raise money to support March of Dimes,” she said.

Founded in 1938 by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring attention to and combat the growing epidemic of polio, the March of Dimes charity has focused its mission on the prevention of premature births, eliminating birth defects and stopping infant mortality.

And now Evan’s parents understand the important role March of Dimes plays in each family of a premature baby.

“We got some struggles ahead,” Smith said. “Evan goes to sleep when we are holding him and he wakes up when we put him down.

“He goes to therapy twice a week,” she said. “But he’s our snuggle bug, and he laughs and giggles, and cuddles.

“He is a joy to us,” she said.

Smith said that as the March of Dimes ambassador family, she has the opportunity to speak about the hurdles parents of preemies face, as well as to be able to educate new families of premature babies on what they can expect.

“We are grateful for the little things that Evan does,” she said. “When he just reaches out to take a hand, we are thrilled.

“When the sun shines on him and he laughs, we laugh,” she said. “He’s just our very special, little boy.”