Alexandria Barbel Roberts was born August 12, 2011, along with her twin sister, Kensington. She was tiny at 1 pound 3 ounces, but her spirit was huge! She came out screaming and surprised everyone with her spunk. She was a fighter from the get-go and stole everyone’s heart who met her. She loved spending time with the nurses, doctors, and especially her family. She always got lots of cuddle time with mom and dad. After 13 weeks in the NICU, Alexandria finally got to go home. We all thought she was on the home stretch and she had beaten the odds. Then sadly, on November 6, 2011, she passed away from NEC, Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Our little girl went to Heaven. A gastrointestinal disease that mostly affects premature infants, NEC involves infection and inflammation that causes destruction of the intestine or part of the bowel. Although it affects only 1 in 2,000 to 4,000 births, or between 1% and 5% of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, NEC is the most common and serious gastrointestinal disorder among hospitalized preterm infants. Alexandria showed no signs or symptoms of this disease and it took her from us in a matter of hours. We love her and miss her dearly every day, but her spirit lives on in our hearts and in her twin sister forever. The Alexandria Roberts Foundation was set up to help other babies and families that are traveling down the same tough road as our little girl. The NICU is never where a parent wants to end up with their newborn baby. It is one of the hardest times anyone will ever face and can be extremely stressful. Not everyone has the means to give their little one everything he or she may need when they’re ready to go home. Whether someone needs a machine for home use to help their baby thrive and grow or as little as a gas card for parents that can’t afford to drive to see their baby in the NICU, this foundation will help make it a little bit easier on everyone. This foundation is a part of the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation, but all donations will go directly to the NICU at the Scottsdale Shea Campus. Through Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation, generous philanthropic support from the community continues to enhance patient programs and services. Each contribution is a significant investment in the health and well-being of our community. Keeping up with technology and adding new programs and services requires innovation and expansion. At any given time, numerous projects are underway that depend on community support. Among the projects initiated by the community is a managed endowment created to keep programming and technology on the cutting edge. The impact of philanthropic support can be seen throughout all Scottsdale Healthcare facilities.