History

In September 2007, Alexander, the son of The Baby Alex Foundation co-founders, Nicole Schmidt and Erik Skulte, was born at 26 weeks gestation. His premature birth was the result of an accident, a horse kick to the stomach that sent his mother immediately into labor. Born at just 1 pound 15 ounces, and suffering significant brain hemorrhages as a result of his low birth weight, Alex's initial prognosis was bleak. He suffered a Grade III bleed on the left side of his brain and a Grade IV bleed on the right. The right side of his brain filled with blood that would eventually destroy brain tissue. Doctors informed the parents that the brain damage could cause a range of disabilities, from severe physical and cognitive deficits to only mild motor skill deficiencies. According to the doctors, only time would tell.

For more information on the first few years of Alex's struggle, please visit Alex's Page. To see excerpts from the Emmy award-winning documentary on premature birth, "My First Breath," featuring Alex and his family, visit the website of Connecticut Public Television and click on "multimedia."

Dissatisfied with vague and often drastically conflicting answers to their questions, Alex's parents began to research books, medical journals, internet sites, and personal testimonies in search of information. They searched for information on the cause of brain hemorrhages in babies, experimental drugs available to prevent hemorrhages, early prognostic indicators of future outcomes, physical therapy shown to improve motor and cognitive development in at-risk babies and parent support networks. Their intensive research proved disappointing. Unable to locate research that appropriately applied to their son, the parents decided to take action, and The Baby Alex Foundation was born.

In December 2008 The Baby Alex Foundation received tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations made to The Baby Alex Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Foundation accepts online donations through the First Giving website. Every donor will receive a thank you letter from the Foundation with the tax exempt number for use in tax filing purposes.

In 2009 The Baby Alex Foundation awarded its first grant to a research project at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Although the Foundation was less than a year old, thanks to the generous support of friends, family, nurses, doctors and corporations, the Foundation raised the funds needed to make that first grant possible. In 2010, the Foundation awarded two $50,000 grants. Looking to the future, the Foundation hopes to award even more grant money for pediatric brain injury research that will make a large impact on a small but important population. These research projects have traditionally been underfunded, and the Baby Alex Foundation hopes to fill this gap.

The Foundation also established an official endurance multisport racing team, Team Baby Alex Foundation, which races to bring awareness to the need for an increase in pediatric brain injury research. Composed of a small but dedicated group, the team has completed long distance races such as the Chesapeake Bay 4.4 Mile Swim, Ironman Lake Placid, and the Vermont 50 Miler. In 2009, the team signed on USAT coach Matt Giunta as the official triathlon team coach.