It was Fourth of July weekend. She was 26 weeks pregnant and newly married. To say she was happy would be an understatement.</p><p>But on a road trip to the Ozarks, Heather Cross didn&rsquo;t feel right. The baby hadn&rsquo;t been kicking. She was worried. Her doctor recommended drinking a soda to stimulate some movement. Instead, she got cramps.</p><p>Eventually the pain was so severe they didn&rsquo;t make it to their destination. They stopped at the hospital in Boonville. Within two hours, and 13 weeks early, she and her husband, Samuel, would welcome their son, Samuel Eugene Cross IV, into the world. He weighed 2 pounds, 2.7 ounces. He lived for 2 days, 9 hours and 54 minutes. That was six years ago.</p><p>&ldquo;We went through a period of time when we kept asking &lsquo;why,&rsquo;&ensp;&rdquo; says Heather, now 34, a senior account manager at Lockton Companies. </p><p>&ldquo;No one could answer that. I started to look for ways to get involved with premature babies, and I found March of Dimes. It became my free therapy.&rdquo;</p><p>The March of Dimes is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy.</p><p>Premature babies are those born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. About 543,000 preemies are born every year. And while some women are at higher risk than others, it can happen to anyone. </p><p>For Heather, it&rsquo;s all about supporting the research and helping find a way to prevent premature delivery and save babies. She and her husband have participated in walks, wine fests and next week, on Nov. 9, they will host a dinner &mdash; Dining for Babies.</p><p>Restaurants across the area are opening their doors to help support the March of Dimes. The Cross family is hosting one at 1924 Main from 6 to 10 p.m. that day. (It&rsquo;s $150 per couple or $75 per person for a three-course dinner. To reserve your seat, visit diningforbabies.com.)</p><p>The dinner falls close to the one-year anniversary of her father-in-law&rsquo;s death. Samuel Eugene Cross Jr., who ran the beloved Northland restaurant Ivy&rsquo;s, passed on Nov. 5 last year.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a sad way to come together, but this is a way to bring a light to a tragedy,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We want to honor our son and my father-in-law.&rdquo;</p><p>In the past six years, a lot has changed. The couple now have two healthy kids, 4-year-old Samuel V and 1-year-old Addison.</p><p>And she concedes that with each birth, she freaked out around the 26-week mark. But her family and friends at the March of Dimes supported her.</p><p>By the time she was pregnant with Addison, she was able to take a new injection, called 17P, that helps reduce the risk of premature birth. She feels the work of March of Dimes leads to this type of breakthrough, and that&rsquo;s why fundraising efforts are important.</p><p>&ldquo;Every penny counts,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Whether you can donate your money or donate your time, it&rsquo;s helpful. I know you have to budget, but once you understand what it&rsquo;s about and see the dedication, it changes. </p><p>&ldquo;Taking time to help others helps you, spiritually and emotionally. A charity really does make your heart larger.&rdquo; </p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Dining for Babies </span></strong><br /> Heather and Samuel Cross III will host Dining for Babies from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 9 at 1924 Main. Half the proceeds go to March of Dimes. It&rsquo;s $150 per couple or $75 per person for a three-course dinner. To reserve your seat or find other dinners in the area, visit diningforbabies.com. For more information, call 913-387-3605.</p><p></div>