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Tampa family celebrates daughter's health milestone at March for Babies walk

By Bryan Gray
Published  April 29, 2025 7:44pm EDT
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News
Tampa family joins March of Dimes for Babies walk

Tampa family joins March of Dimes for Babies walk

FOX 13's Allie Corey highlights What's Right with Tampa Bay.

The Brief

    • A Tampa family celebrated their daughter's health milestone at the March of Dimes March for Babies walk.
    • Lilly Lewellen spent the first 10 weeks of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tampa General Hospital after an emergency delivery at just 31 weeks.
    • Now, two years later she is not only a healthy young girl, but she is thriving.

TAMPA - One organization's push to tackle America's maternal and infant crisis is hitting a Tampa family hard as they celebrate a remarkable milestone with their daughter.

Lauren and Chris Lewellen are reflecting on their daughter Lilly’s incredible journey from a fragile preemie in the NICU to a thriving toddler, thanks in part to the support of the March of Dimes.

A Tampa family celebrated their daughter's health milestone at the March of Dimes March for Babies walk.

With bright eyes and boundless curiosity, Lilly is just like any other two-year-old, but her journey to this point has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Lauren's pregnancy was going great, until her 30-week check-up, when she started feeling off.

"Ended up in the emergency room and was diagnosed unexpectedly with gestational hypertension," said Lauren. "And then within a week and a half, I was delivering my daughter, Lilly."

Lilly was born nine weeks early at just two pounds and seven ounces.

Lauren and Chris Lewellen are reflecting on their daughter Lilly’s incredible journey from a fragile preemie in the NICU to a thriving toddler.

READ: Florida family fighting for premature babies nearly a decade after emergency C-section

Her early arrival was due to pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that led to an emergency delivery at just 31 weeks.

What they're saying:

"It was very challenging and very scary," said Chris Lewellen, Lilly's Dad. "I mean, I had no idea what really to expect going into the situation. I wasn't familiar with pre-eclampsia."

Lilly spent the first 10 weeks of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tampa General Hospital.

"It was the scariest moment of my life, you're wondering," said Lauren.

Now, two years later, Lilly is not only healthy, she’s thriving.

"She has so much energy. She has a zest for life and just loves playing and exploring, and is your typical everyday toddler," Lauren added.

This weekend, the Lewellen family will attend the March of Dimes walk, celebrating their daughter’s journey and helping to raise awareness and funds for premature birth research and support.

"We just look forward to doing it for years to come, and hopefully we can continue to be a major fundraiser for the city of Tampa Bay," Chris said.

A Tampa family celebrated their daughter's health milestone at the March of Dimes March for Babies walk.

Lilly's journey highlights the importance of continued support for organizations like the March of Dimes.

What you can do:

To get involved or to support the cause, you can visit the March of Dimes website.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Bryan Gray.

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