NEWPORT-A six-year-old first-grader at BridgeportElementary School has been selected to serve as a March of Dimes Ambassador forthe 2009 March of Dimes March for Babies.

Jensen Breanne Gregg, daughter of April and Darren Winesand Chad Gregg will be at Newport City Park on Sunday, Oct. 18, for the annualmile walk. The walk begins at 1 p.m. Anyone can attend, and refreshments andprizes will be given.

To look at Jensen today, one would never know that herpremature arrival on Independence Day in 2003 left her in a very precariousstate.

Born six weeks early on July 4 of that year, Jensenweighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces, a good six for an infant born that early. Shepossessed well-developed lungs, which many premature baby girls do. Had shebeen a boy, her problems would probably have included a lack of lungdevelopment.

What Jensen didn't have was a sucking reflex, which lefther unable to eat on her own. Doctors had to insert a feeding tube into herstomach via her nose and formula was slowly pumped into her system in order tokeep her alive.

She also had an IV, sometimes in her hand, sometimes inher heel, and sometimes even in her head. She also had a heart monitor at alltimes.

Jensen's early arrival shocked everyone.

"We wanted more than anything else in this word tohave our firstborn child," says her mom. "I had waited until I was 30to get pregnant and had done everything by the book. From pre-natal vitamins toregular check-ups to no heavy lifting, I followed doctors' orders. I didn'tsmoke or drink. I had even started eating breakfast every morning."

Jensen was officially due August 18, 2003.

"That was the date we were prepared for," saysApril. "Much to my horror, however, on July 3, I went to work as usual anddiscovered I had begun to bleed. A co-worker took me to the emergency roomwhere Dr. Conway thoroughly examined me and then sent me to UT Hospital byambulance."

What April didn't know at the time was that Dr. Conwayhad discovered April was leaking amniotic fluid, which would quickly result inher baby's birth. He also recognized the strong possibility that the infantwould need neo-natal intensive care.

"Unless you have been through it," recallsApril, "I can't event begin to explain that kind of feeling ofhopelessness."

April was discharged from the hospital two days later,but Jensen had to remain hospitalized for two more weeks.

Going home "without a baby in my belly or in myarms" was hard on April. "Even knowing and thanking God every daybecause we knew Jensen was coming home," says April, "I have neverfelt more lost and empty inside, to drive away and leave my whole world there.Chad and I cried every night after we left from our all-too-short visitations.It was the most brutal thing either of us had endured in our entirelives."

After Jensen's release from the hospital two weeks later,her parents were "scared to death. She had to be awakened every two hoursto be coerced into bottle feeding."

From the get-go, Jensen defied doctors' predictions andexpectations. "The doctors said to expect her to be slower at reachingbaby milestones," explains April. "We were told she would eventuallycatch up by the time she turned 2."

Not Jensen! According to her mom, she was always "ator above her level on al charts. She wasn't waiting!"

Not enrolled in Mrs. Bible's first-grade class atBridgeport, Jensen in an honor student with perfect attendance. "To lookat her, you would never know she was born prematurely," says April."She is tall for her age, an all-around healthy, happy, articulate, sweetlittle girl."

Jensen has a younger sister Marklee, who will turn 4 laterthis month. Unlike Jensen, Marklee was a full-term baby.

"One premature child doesn't mean all your childrenwill be," says April.

April and Chad are now divorced, and she has remarried."I know that we will always co-parent very well together and always bethere for them," April adds. "We have told them of the importance ofthe March of Dimes March for Babies. There was never any explanation as to whyJensen was born so early. We can only hope through research that the statisticsof premature births will reduce drastically."

In addition to her sister Marklee, Jensen has twostep-brothers Dillon and Alex Wines. She is the granddaughter of Brenda Gailand Mark Griffin, Dandridge; Richard McMahan, Sevierville; Brenda Maxine Gregg,Parrottsville; Dale and Margaret Hill, South Carolina; and Betty Wines,Newport.s

For more information about the local March of Dimes Marchfor Babies, call Liz McNabb, chair, (423) 613-1580 or April Wines (865)322-0958.