Spotlighting early births

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POCATELLO — With all the hardships 7-year-old Marissa Chappell has endured during her short life, it is no wonder Disneyland’s Hollywood Tower of Terror doesn’t frighten her.

Shelly Chappell delivered a 2-pound, 5-ounce Marissa into the world by Caesarean section. Marissa, who was recently selected as the March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2007 Ambassador child, spent the next two and a half months in the neonatal intensive care unit at Portneuf Medical Center connected to monitors and oxygen.

WalkAmerica is the nation’s largest fundraising event. The Pocatello WalkAmerica, a three mile walk to raise money for the March of Dimes campaign against prematurity and birth defects, will begin April 28 at 9 a.m. at Farmers Insurance, 2500 S. Fifth Ave.

“The first three years were kind of scary because she was so tiny,” Shelly said of Marissa’s struggle. “They have a growth chart in the pediatrician’s office and she was in the fifth percentile of kids her age.”

Last year on a vacation to Disneyland, Marissa’s favorite ride was the Hollywood Tower of Terror, which includes an elevator free-fall of several stories.

Shelly said while she was horrified of the tower, Marissa wanted to go back over and over again.

“I was screaming my head off,” Shelly said.

Marissa’s troubles began before she was born.

When Shelly was 28 weeks pregnant, doctors diagnosed her with a rare disorder called hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels and a low platelet count, or HELLP syndrome. HELLP can cause bleeding, liver and blood pressure problems that affect both the mother and the baby.

“It caused my liver to swell and my body to start rejecting the pregnancy,” Shelly said.

The only treatment is for the mother to deliver the child, which is exactly what Shelly did.

Shelly is proud Marissa is the ambassador for this year’s WalkAmerica fundraiser. The charity organization has helped in the battles against polio and birth defects and prematurity by raising public awareness and money for research. Prematurity is the leading cause of death for newborns in the United States.

“When you raise awareness of any ongoing medical issue it’s a good thing,” Shelly said. “The medical breakthroughs that are happening on a daily basis are amazing. Programs like WalkAmerica are imperative.”

Shelly, who does radiation therapy treatment planning for cancer patients at PMC, said Marissa still has some problems stemming from her prematurity, but she is progressing as she grows.

Marissa is now a first-grader at Pocatello Community Charter School, who enjoys playing board games, skiing, Rollerblading and riding her bicycle.

“Marissa is my miracle child,” Shelly said. “Every time I think about it, I think what a blessing and what a miracle it is — where we are today, all the things that could have happened that didn’t. When I tell people our story, they look at her and can’t believe it.”

By Casey Santee-csantee@journalnet.com

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