March of Dimes, a foundation that researches causes that could prevent a newborn from being healthy and helps mothers have full-term pregnancies, is of particular interest to Chelsea Ferguson and Rachel Taylor, recent graduates from George Mason’s School of Nursing. Both Ferguson and Taylor completed their senior nursing practicum at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and were recently hired as registered nurses there. Their time spent working on the unit and conversations with other NICU nurses motivated them to find a way to improve the health of babies while pursuing their passion.
In October, Ferguson and Taylor registered their team on the March of Dimes website with a goal to raise $800 for their cause. The team that had started off with just a poster, a mason jar, and homemade ribbons to hand out for their cause quickly turned into a team of 26 students. The team participated in the March of Dimes’s March for Babies walk on May 3 at Reston Town Center and raised $2,000 for the cause.
“We left a great trail for the upcoming senior nurses at Mason, and they are just as passionate as we were in keeping the George Mason Student Nurses Association March of Dimes team going,” Ferguson said. “Nursing students will continue to support the March of Dimes.”