At gala, the little guy's the big man

March of Dimes auction raises thousands for healthier babies

By Robb Murray

MANKATO — If you’re into your who’s who events, your galas, your big bashes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger one in Mankato than the annual March of Dimes Signature Chef’s Auction.

The 2008 event, held Thursday evening at Snell Motors, always draws a colorful crowd.

There was the insurance guy, the one with all the discounts. And that redheaded mortgage loan guy. There was the radio news man. Your dentist. Your doctor. Your lawyer. The college president (the one with the kidney.) The morning drive radio duo from that country station. And that developer whose name is on all the property for sale in town.

But there was someone else there. Drew, a littler guy, and one who has done more to earn the title “Big Shot” than just about anyone else here.

Every year the March of Dimes has an ambassador family, one whose child is alive today thanks to the research and work of the March of Dimes. This year it’s Drew Steiert’s family.

Drew is 7. And he’s a normal kid who, when asked if he had anything to say to a reporter, simply quipped, “I’m clueless.”

He was anything but normal when he was born.

While pregnant, his mother developed preeclampsia and needed an emergency cesarean section. Before doing so, however, she was given medication that would help Drew’s lungs develop.

She underwent surgery at Abbot Northwestern Hospital in the Twin Cities, and Drew was immediately transferred to Children’s Hospital.

“It was very scary at the time,” Erica Steiert said.

After the cesarean, Drew — who came three months early — thrived. For two months he lived in the hospital, his mother with him every day, his father, Jim, with him whenever possible.

Drew’s parents say his life immediately after birth was highly unusual. Upon removal from the womb, he cried, something a baby not treated beforehand probably couldn’t have done.

He was never on a ventilator.

“Our doctor calls him his miracle patient,” Erica said.

The couple said the March of Dimes played an important role in their son’s successful first few months. Because of the March of Dimes, they said, Drew was able to get that lung development medication. And because of the March of Dimes, doctors received the education and training necessary to help premature babies.

“We were very, very fortunate,” Jim Steiert said, recalling those days at Children’s Hospital. “We were surrounded by people far less fortunate.”

Greg Jackson — who along with his wife, Ruth, organized this year’s chef’s auction — said a friend just endured a tragedy. His wife died while pregnant, and the baby would have died as well without the work of the March of Dimes.

Thursday’s event was one of the auction’s biggest, and more tables than ever were pre-sold.

Jackson said it reflects well on Mankato that, even in uncertain financial times, the community supports a good cause.

“Mankato continues to give,” he said, “whether it’s the March of Dimes, United Way and everything in between.”