In December last year, she and her husband lost their son Josiah. He was stillborn. Then, in July 2020, the family welcomed twins, also at 27 weeks.

Elise was born weighing 908 grams and David was born weighing 1088 grams.

The twins are happy and healthy, home now with Danielle and her husband Akeem.

Danielle’s journey has been anything but ordinary. She went into preterm labour at 21 weeks of pregnancy, meaning she was in and out of Sunnybrook’s High Risk Obstetrics Unit until the twins were born.

The twins stayed in Sunnybrook’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 34 days before transferring to Michael Garron Hospital.

On top of that, she developed a brain condition that required her to have fluid drained from her spine.

Asked about her time at Sunnybrook, she breaks into a huge smile. “I remember every single staff person by name.”

She lists the names of nurses in High Risk Obstetrics who held her hand when she missed her husband due to visiting restrictions during the pandemic. It’s the same for the care team in the neonatal intensive care unit – she can name them all, from nurses to respiratory therapists to social workers.

One individual that left a mark was her maternal fetal medicine specialist, or high-risk obstetrician, Dr. Amir Aviram. “Dr. Aviram understood how difficult it was experiencing a pregnancy after loss and during a pandemic. It still brings me to tears remembering how we felt supported, so well informed and cared for.”

The twins stayed in Sunnybrook’s NICU for 34 days, then moved to Michael Garron Hospital for a few weeks. Danielle often thinks about her time at the hospital.

“When I was feeling down, staff always tried to brighten my day. They were professional but still warm and tried to gain insight into our lives. One nurse in particular asked the name of my first son. That meant a lot.”

Josiah, the name of Danielle and Akeem’s first son, means ‘God heals’. “We had faith we would have more children.”

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“Watching them find their passions in life is incredible,” says mom Sandy Thompson. “There are no limitations. They want to try something new and they follow through.”

The twins had an early start to life. At 27 weeks of pregnancy, Sandy began experiencing a placenta complication. The girls were born, with Hailey weighing one pound, 13 ounces and Samantha weighing two pounds, eight ounces. Both were given a breathing tube right away and admitted to Sunnybrook’s neonatal intensive care unit. Samantha was able to progress from that in a couple of weeks to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine after a few weeks.

Hailey developed an infection and was diagnosed with two serious heart defects. Her condition improved without the need for surgery. Samantha left the hospital 12 weeks after birth, and Hailey came home with Sandy and her husband Steven 20 weeks after she was born.

The family also learned the twins would be moved from the hospital’s Women’s College site to Sunnybrook’s Bayview campus, which Sandy describes as “seamless…the staff made the transition so smooth…and the new facilities were absolutely amazing.”

While thankful both girls are now healthy and thriving, Sandy admits their first couple of years of life were a blur. “It’s incredibly busy. You need to learn everything about caring for babies born prematurely, as well as trying to understand how to navigate the health care system and also transitioning from the hospital to community-based care,” explains Sandy, who adds that between both girls there were five to seven medical appointments a week during their first two years of life.

If she were to change anything about the girls’ stay in the NICU, Sandy says she would have taken advantage of the supportive resources at the hospital. “From social workers, to parent coordinators, there are so many supports. I would encourage families with a baby or babies in the unit to use all available services. I think they would have made my time easier as a parent.”

Looking at the family now, as they’re smiling, laughing and planning their next big hike, it’s difficult to imagine the challenging start Hailey and Samantha had in life. They’ve opted for remote learning during the pandemic, and the twins are excited to get back to a routine as grade five students.

Sandy urges parents of babies born prematurely to take each day as it comes. “If it’s a hard day, try to just get through it and hope tomorrow will be a better day. If tomorrow isn’t a better day, just hope that the next day will be better. Don’t be scared of the future. There is so much good ahead.”

The post Meet Samantha and Hailey: From the NICU to thriving 10-year-olds appeared first on Your Health Matters.