`Miracle Child' Chosen As March Of Dimes Ambassador

CHICAGO - The March of Dimes has chosen a healthy youngster as its annual poster child. The girl, who was born more than three months premature, proves miracles can happen, the charity said.

Laura Krumwiede was given a 40 percent chance of surviving after her birth in 1984. She weighed less than 2 pounds, her lungs were unable to function, and she spent the first days of her life hooked to a respirator.

Today, the suburban-Chicago youngster is a healthy kindergartner, looking forward to meeting President Bush and fulfilling her other duties as the 1991 national ambassador for the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

The charity planned to introduce Laura to the nation today on ABC-TV's ``Good Morning America.''

``Laura is our everyday reminder of the miracle of a healthy child and of the fact that sometimes we have to make that miracle happen,'' said Jennifer L. Howse, March of Dimes president.

``Programs and treatments developed by March of Dimes researchers helped save Laura's life.''

Selecting a healthy poster child reflects the March of Dimes' new focus on ``a healthy birth for every baby,'' the charity said.

Laura's new celebrity status hasn't gone to her head, said her mother, Candyce Krumwiede, of Naperville, west of Chicago.

``She just takes it in stride,'' Krumwiede said. ``She's excited about seeing President Bush because she loves Millie the dog.''

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 to fight polio, and for decades it chose disabled youngsters as poster children to symbolize the struggle against the crippling disease.

In 1958, the organization expanded its programs in an effort to fight birth defects and low birth weights. More than 250,000 babies each year are born weighing fewer than 5.5 pounds. Low birth weight is related to 60 percent of all infant deaths and is closely associated with birth defects, the charity said.

As the 1991 ambassador, Laura will attend charity events nationwide and appear with celebrities to raise awareness of the March of Dimes.

``Laura was going to be my New Year's baby'' of 1985, Krumwiede said.

But Laura was born on Oct. 2, 1984. She suffered several life-threatening health problems associated with low-birth-weight babies, and her parents were not sure they would ever be able to bring her home.

Laura overcame the odds.

``The miracle of Laura is not just the fact that she lived. The miracle is that she has virtually no problems as a result of her prematurity,'' Krumwiede said.