Evangeline and Josiah's Story

Evangeline and Josiah were born at 28 weeks and 1 day gestation after I went into spontaneous preterm labor. Their arrival was very sudden and unexpected as the pregnancy had been easy and healthy up until their birth. Thankfully, we were transported by EMS in the nick of time and were able to deliver them at Cone Health Women’s and Children’s Hospital, even though we were living 35 minutes away at the time. The first few hours after they were born were spent waiting on updates from the NICU team and informing our families and friends about their wild arrival. The neonatologists, nurses, and staff were so kind to explain to us what was happening, the process we could expect, and they answered any questions we asked.

Our first time really meeting the twins in their NICU room was obviously very emotional for my husband and me. We were taken aback by how tiny and fragile our babies were and were at first very timid with how to interact and help them during care times, but the nurses and specialists were incredible at educating us and building our confidence as new parents. Right away, we were visited by the sweet staff from FSN, who brought us books for the babies, a gift bag with resources, goodies, and even little fabric “butterflies” we could use to help comfort the twins with our scent as they slept in their isolettes. The FSN staff would regularly check in on us, celebrating the little wins we had each day and inviting us to events so that we could take a break from our NICU rooms to share a generously provided meal with other NICU families. Those events were always a bright spot in our day and gave us a sense of community while we were there.

Our twins had a long and challenging road in the NICU, and they fought so hard to reach each little milestone. We were so proud of their determination, bravery, and strength. While our stay at the NICU was difficult and filled with many hard days, the overwhelming feeling I have when looking back is gratitude. The generosity, kindness, and love given to us by our care team, hospital staff, and FSN was so needed and appreciated. We hope that one day we can properly thank each person who played a role in helping our family through our twins’ NICU stay and to where they are today—thriving and growing!

Love,