Coca-Cola scholars give back to community

Eight pounds, three ounces is the average weight of a newborn baby. Apparently no one told Zebelyn Guy that. She was born prematurely at two pounds, 10 ounces.

"When a baby's premature, it's almost like you're baking a cake and pulling it out two hours early," said Will Adams, maternal child social worker at DCH Regional Medical Center.

The moment she was born she was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a fight for her life - an underdog from the first day.

The 12 UA freshmen Coca-Cola scholars also know what it is like to be underdogs. They are first-generation students from the state of Alabama, who need financial aid to attend college.

Coca-Cola gives $3.4 million in scholarships per year to 1,400 college students, 12 of which went to UA freshmen. The 12 students decided they wanted to do something to give back to the community, said Angela Benjamin, coordinator of the program.

"They brainstormed," Benjamin said. "They all got together in class and came up with the idea. It took about a month to plan and get the supplies together."

On Tuesday, it all came together when the UA Coca-Cola scholars presented Christmas gifts to five families from DCH's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The unit has 19 families involved, but only five could be chosen for the program. Benjamin said it was difficult to choose just five families to help, so they asked Adams to pick the most deserving ones.

"The children are in the NICU but also have siblings," she said. "We did something for the siblings, the children and something special for the mothers since they are stressed out."

With 15 minutes before the first family would arrive, the anticipation was building. Students hurried around the room making last-minute checks to assure everything was perfect.

"I'm really excited to see the children's reactions," said Allie Thompson, a freshman majoring in marketing, before the families walked in. "We've been putting this together for about a month now."

The families were brought into a small conference room where drinks and snacks lined the table and the entire back corner of the room was filled with colorfully wrapped gifts.

Even before the presentation the children's parents were grateful.

"The families were very appreciative when I called them up," Adams said. "Baby supplies and toys aren't cheap unfortunately."

Kenneth Guy, Zebelyn's father, said what the students did was commendable.

"It's absolutely wonderful - a blessing actually," he said.

Day to day

Having a baby in the unit puts stress on the families, so the ceremony was a welcomed change of mood, Guy said.

"They mean it when they say day-to-day," he said.

His wife Jamie Guy, who also has another child, said some days are better than others, but it is still hard.

"Some days I leave crying, because that's all I can do to leave my baby girl," she said. "Other days are better."

Just because a baby is sick, doesn't mean they won't survive, Adams said.

"I was an NICU baby," Adams said. "I always urge the families to stay positive."

Many times that stress begins even before the baby is delivered.

"Two weeks before she was born I was going through preterm labor," Jamie said. "I didn't understand it either. They told me to stay off my feet. With a 16-month-old that's hard. When my water broke I was scared. When I got to the doctor's office my only question was what are the chances of survival. I didn't care about me, but about her chances."

The Coca-Cola scholars understand stress as well - the application process to get the scholarship involved submitting a résumé and essays. Some people were called back for an interview, and then just had to wait, said Shea Mason, a freshman with an undecided major.

"It was tedious," she said. "Everyday it was 'has anyone called? Is there a letter in the mail?'"

Finding out they got the scholarship was a special event, said Christina Bryant, a freshman majoring in pre-medicine.

"We're sitting in dead traffic on the way to Atlanta, and my counselor called and told me I got the scholarship," she said. "I seriously broke down crying. It's a good thing my dad was driving."

Mason said she was excited for the chance to go to a four-year school.

"I just felt 'Thank God I can go to college,'" she said. "It's not so much a college - I would have gone to a community college otherwise - but being able to go to 'Bama [is what I wanted to do]."

Giving back

The Coca-Cola scholars weren't required to do a service project for the scholarship. They just decided it would be a good idea.

"I like the opportunity for us to help people," Mason said. "Twenty thousand dollars from Coke is a lot of money so we try to help them give back to the community."

Gwen Guy, Zebelyn's grandmother, said the scholars put on a good program for all of the parents.

"For an organization to take the time to provide for the families is wonderful," she said.

After the five families received their gifts Adams spoke about the patients and what DCH does to help them. Afterward he took the students through the unit to see the children they were actually helping.

Some students said they were sad for the children in the NICU, but Jeff Banks, a freshman majoring in journalism, said he saw things in another light.

"Don't look at it and be sad, but look at it as hope for the baby," he said.

Diane Teague, the academic coordinator for the scholarship, said optimism is why these students were chosen.

"I think this is what education is all about, learning to look beyond yourself and finding your place as a citizen," she said. "Giving back to society what is given to you."