Erika Taylor: A True Pirate Anne Woman

Resilient. Fearless. Determined. Erika Taylor embodies the spirit of a Pirate Anne woman—strong, confident, and unwavering in the face of adversity.

Born in 1989 at just 1 lb, 15 oz at 26 weeks gestation, Erika’s fight for survival began long before she took her first breath. Her mother, facing a maternity care desert in Bladenboro, NC, had to be rushed 3.5 hours away to UNC Children’s Hospital to give her the best possible chance at life. In the absence of a NICU Family Support Unit, her family navigated the journey largely on their own, making sacrifices and enduring hardships that only strengthened their resolve.

From the very start, Erika was a fighter. Enrolled in a groundbreaking clinical trial for surfactant therapy, she became part of medical history, contributing to the research that would save countless premature babies in the years to come. Against the odds, she defied medical expectations, overcoming a heart murmur, a brain hemorrhage, and respiratory distress syndrome—conditions that could have defined her life but never did.

Now, at 35 years old, Erika has ZERO long-term complications from her preterm birth, a testament to both her own resilience and the power of medical advancements. But her journey didn’t stop at survival—she turned her experience into advocacy. A lifelong supporter of March of Dimes, she has dedicated over a decade serving on local and state boards, leading fundraising efforts, and shaping policies to support mothers and babies. As a medical family therapist and certified perinatal mental health provider (PMH-C), she now walks alongside families facing the same struggles her own family once did, offering them the support that was once so scarce.

Erika Taylor is more than a survivor—she is a force for change, a fierce advocate, and the embodiment of what it means to be a Pirate Anne woman. Strong. Bold. Unstoppable.

Erika Taylor is our March 2025 Pirate ANNEfluencer 

@estaylor2011 

@marchofdimes.northcarolina 

@marchofdimes 

@uncchildrens 

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