St. Charles Foundation receives grant from March of Dimes for pregnancy program

Bend, Ore. – The St. Charles Foundation recently received a grant from the March of Dimes, Greater Oregon Chapter for $10,000 to benefit the HealthyStart Diabetes in Pregnancy Program. The program, supported by the St. Charles Foundation and operated out of the Deschutes County Department of Health, launched in July of 2006 thanks to an initial grant from the March of Dimes. This is the third consecutive year of support.

According to Dwight Heaney, executive director of the St. Charles Foundation, since the program’s launch, 18 pregnant women have been diagnosed with either gestational or Type 2 diabetes and all are enrolled in the program.

“The impact of this program on the women and families it serves is phenomenal,” Heaney said. “It is possible that without the help they received from this program they may have miscarried or had a baby with serious complications. This grant truly is the gift of life.”

The four goals of the HealthyStart Diabetes in Pregnancy Program are early detection, teaching women how they can be actively involved in managing their illness, reducing barriers to care often experienced by Hispanic mothers – including cultural influence, language, educational level, financial circumstances, transportation issues and lack of family support systems – and educating Hispanic women about their bodies and how to prevent diabetes in their future. A side benefit is that effective diet and exercise habits become a family norm and the entire family is healthier.