Kayla Campbell was only six months old when she joined the Healthy Start team. Her mom, Kim, had just returned to work as a MomCare advisor when the Coalition began planning a new Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) prevention campaign. Kayla became the Safe Sleep baby — appearing on bill boards, bus ads and brochures — sleeping peacefully on her back in her crib.

Now six years old, the shy kindergartener smiles when she sees that picture of herself as a baby. She is proud when she hears about her role in keeping other babies healthy. The brochures featuring Kayla are still used by Healthy Start to spread the word about the ABCs of safe sleep —alone, on the back, in a crib — to new parents in the region.

Kayla attends Good Shepard School and likes karate and playing with dolls. She is partial to sparkles—in her hair, on her shoes and around her neck. She and big brother Barrington, age eight, have a new reason to be proud with the arrival of baby brother, Braxton.

Mother Kim knows first-hand about the importance of prenatal care and support. She coped with the threat of pre-term labor during all of her pregnancies. A Coalition employee for more than eight years, Kim helps pregnant women understand their Medicaid benefits and assists them with finding a doctor and other services they need.

For the Campbells, Healthy Start is truly a family affair.