FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 3, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290

Governor, Mrs. Blunt Read to Children and Tour Neonatal Unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Children Present the Blunts With Mitten-shaped Ornaments for Capitol Christmas Tree

ST. LOUIS - Gov. and Mrs. Matt Blunt today visited St. Louis Children’s Hospital where they toured the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, read to children in the Child Life Center and presented books to children and their families..

"It is a pleasure to visit with these wonderful children and to learn more from the medical professionals working to bring hope to our young people,” Gov. Blunt said. “The children here and their parents face incredible adversity and they are meeting those challenges with courage and faith."

Gov. and Mrs. Blunt visited with children and families at the hospital where they read The Mitten by Jan Brett.  The visit was broadcast across the hospital so patients who could not attend could also participate.  The children presented the Blunts with mitten-shaped ornaments to help decorate the Capitol tree.

"It is such a joy to visit with Missouri children and see love, prayer and hope work together with technology and research to secure a strong future for young Missourians,” Mrs. Blunt said. “There is no greater miracle than the gift of life and no greater time to celebrate that gift than the holiday season."

Gov. Blunt has been a champion for Missouri’s children. He has advocated on behalf of students and secured more than a half a billion dollars in new funding for Missouri classrooms. He has signed budgets increasing funding to support Autism research, expand early learning programs such as Parents as Teachers and support Missouri families. The governor has also enacted new laws to better protect our children from sex offenders.

In addition Gov. Blunt has made newborn screening a priority. Before he became governor, the state of Missouri was only screening newborns for five conditions. Today, Missouri performs 28 of the 29 conditions recommended for testing by the March of Dimes.   The 29th will be added this year, making Missouri just the 14th state in the nation to test for all of the recommended diseases.

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