PREMATURITY ADVOCACY IS PERSONAL

Shelly Brajkovich Bateman

Beta Epsilon–Western Illinois University

Tri Sigma Foundation Executive Director

Prematurity Awareness Month always stops me in my tracks. Because for me, it isn't just a cause—it's where my story began. I came into the world too soon, small, fragile, and fighting before I even took my first breath. Babies my size didn't often survive back then; there wasn't much need for preemie clothing when most never came home. I was measured not in pounds but by the size of a doll outfit (the only thing small enough to cover me), while my parents prayed for me to be one of the few who made it.  

My survival story didn't end when I left the hospital. It became my career calling. For 10 defining years, I poured my heart into March of Dimes' mission, championing women's health, maternal care, and the tiniest lives fighting for their first breath. I wasn't just an employee advocating for change; I was living proof of the mission itself. That same conviction, born from the research and compassion that once saved me, now fuels my leadership at the Tri Sigma Foundation every single day.  

I'll never forget sitting in the audience at Tri Sigma's 2016 National Convention when the Foundation announced its partnership with March of Dimes. As the words echoed across the room, tears filled my eyes. The organization that helped give me life had joined hands with the sisterhood that continues to shape it. It wasn't just a partnership—it was a full-circle moment that felt like destiny.  

I know I'm not the only one with a story like this. Every day, women and families face moments of uncertainty and hope. So many of our sisters have their own stories of survival, love, and perseverance. This month, as we recognize Prematurity Awareness Month, I invite you to share yours. Together, our stories remind the world—and each other—just how powerful compassion can be. Click here to share your story with us.

Tri Sigma has been a constant thread through every chapter of my journey, shaping the leader, the professional, and the woman I've become. I carry our values of wisdom, power, faith, hope, and love in everything I do, and I am endlessly proud to call myself a Tri Sigma. This sisterhood taught me how to lead with heart, serve with purpose, and believe that together, we can change lives.

Now, as Executive Director of the Tri Sigma Foundation, that same passion fuels everything I do. Each day, I see how our work transforms lives—from research and child life programs that bring healing and hope to leadership initiatives that help women discover their confidence, purpose, and voice. Through our They Did. You Can. We Will. Campaign, we're ensuring these opportunities and resources reach even further. What a privilege it is to help shape a future where compassion, courage, and sisterhood truly change the world.  

This Prematurity Awareness Month, I want you to know that the work we do at the Tri Sigma Foundation is more than powerful, it's personal. Every dollar you give fuels the breakthroughs that change lives, nurture leadership, and keep our sisterhood's legacy of service alive.  

To every donor who stands with us, thank you for believing in this mission and for giving it life through your generosity. I give too, because I've seen what our gifts make possible. Because of you, "not supposed to make it," becomes a lifetime of possibilities. Together, we are living proof.