Twin baby girls separated in NICUs at 2 Boston hospitals. Parents pleading to get them back together.

Two newborns sleeping in hospital incubators with medical monitors

Premature twin baby girls are separated, hospitalized in two different neonatal intensive care units in Boston. The parents, from Canton, Massachusetts, say they know the babies are getting the vital care they need, but it’s nearly impossible to support both girls equally when they’re apart. “It’s difficult. They’re in a glass enclosure with feeding tubes and breathing tubes. As a parent it’s the worst feeling in the world, to not be able to help them.

So, all you can do is sit there, look at them and pray,” said dad Mike Kennedy.  Any parent who’s had to leave their baby in a NICU knows this father’s pain and has whispered those same prayers. Mike and Kelsey Kennedy’s twin girls came early, born at just 24 weeks. Juliette went upstairs to the Brigham and Women’s NICU. Kendall, born with spina bifida, was rushed into surgery at Boston Children’s. That was five weeks ago. “The doctors and the nurses have all been in our corner. They’ve been trying to get them together. There are studies that show twins together, it helps them heal,” Kennedy said. 

The couple raves about the care their girls have received at both hospitals. But the parents aren’t just pulled between two NICUs, they also have two other young kids at home in Canton. Then, adding to their stress, a letter informing them of the scheduled Brigham nurses’ strike.  “Now with the strike that comfort and that reliability that we had with the team we knew is gone,” he added.  Juliette was even just taken to Children’s for heart surgery. Still, she was transported back to the Brigham to recover. WBZ asked the hospital about the parents’ wish to transfer to be treated together. The hospital wrote in a statement:  “Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit works closely with partner institutions to ensure babies receive the specialized care that best meets their individual needs.

Decisions regarding transfers are based on multiple factors, including a baby’s medical condition and stability, clinical needs, parental wishes, and bed availability at each location. We cannot comment on any specific patient due to patient privacy, but our teams work closely with families and partner institutions to coordinate care based on each baby’s individual needs and circumstances.” Boston Children’s Hospital did not respond.  When so much feels out of their control, the Kennedys say the rest of the year in just one NICU would feel like such a win.  “We take every little thing as a win. An ounce here, an ounce there, that’s a win to us. A good day is a win. Every single day we’ve had with these babies, the good and the bad has been a win,” the dad said. 

Source: Twin baby girls separated in NICUs at 2 Boston hospitals. Parents pleading to get them back together. – CBS Boston

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Australian woman gives birth to rare identical quadruplet daughters

Identical Quadruplets in a hospital

Jenitar Na’amoana and her husband, Jortham, thought their family was complete after welcoming four children. Then came an unexpected surprise: four naturally conceived, identical daughters. Na’amoana, 34, gave birth to Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa last week.   “The fact that we’ve got four beautiful, healthy babies born at 28 weeks and four days is incredible,” said Dr. Alexa Bendall of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.    All four daughters share 100% of their DNA after a single fertilized egg split into four embryos, making the pregnancy a one-in-15-million occurrence. 

In 2020, the Marr family in Dallas welcomed their own set of naturally conceived identical quadruplets: Harrison, Henry, Hardy and Hudson. Jenny Marr believes that, whatever the odds, they’ve won four jackpots in the same genetic lottery. “You’re just overwhelmed and just exhausted and sleep-deprived, and you’ve got four babies that are hopefully all on a sleep schedule that you can manage, but it is four times the joy,” Marr told CBS News Marr’s advice to Jenitar and Jortham Na’amoana: stick to your sleep schedule. “Because that’s how you’re going to survive,” Marr said. “Make sure mom takes care of herself. I hope they’re just healthy little girls and meet all their milestones, and it’s so, so exciting.” 

Source: Australian woman gives birth to rare identical quadruplet daughters – CBS News

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
Romans 14:3

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.