Laney and Ella's story 

See Laney and Ella's 2009 Miracle Kid video (WTAJ)

They each weighed about the same as a morning mug of coffee when they were born, and were only about as long as a standard ruler.  But Laney and Ella were alive, and had already come further than anyone expected.

“We found out we were having twins at about 21 weeks,” mom Kelly remembers.  “We knew we were having twins for about four days before there were major complications.”

Kelly and her husband, John, found out that she was essentially in labor and that they may lose both babies.  She was put on bed rest, but as the problems continued, she was sent via Life Flight® to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville for more specialized care. 

“I was crying the whole time, and I remember telling the nurse, ‘they can’t be born yet, they’re not viable,’” Kelly says.

No one expected labor to hold off for even one day at that point.  Somehow, the twins were able to hold on for about four more weeks – until almost 26 weeks of gestation, still more than three months shy of the full-term 40 weeks. 

They immediately were passed through the window separating the Geisinger labor-and-delivery unit to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, where they would begin the uphill battle against the long list of complications.

“Ella cried when she was born – the saddest, smallest cry I’ve ever heard in my life,” Kelly says.  “Laney didn’t cry, which was scary, and I didn’t get to see them before they passed them through the window to the NICU.”

They had been able to grow enough in the womb to survive outside, but not without considerable help.  Their lungs, after all, had not fully formed yet.  They were suffering from sepsis, an infection in their blood and throughout their bodies, because their immune systems weren’t functioning properly yet.  The premature birth also affected their eyes, leaving them with a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity.  And the list went on.

“The parents knew that 26 weeks was still very early, and there was no guarantee of survival,” explains Dr. Lauren Johnson-Robbins, a neonatologist at Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. 

Kelly and John waited for updates, not sure if the next person who walked through the door would tell them their daughters had passed away.  When word finally came, it was that the girls were holding on.  And while the sisters were in the fight together, they each had individual battles, too.

“The somewhat good thing about them is they took turns,” Dr. Johnson-Robbins says. “They seemed almost to divide the problems that preemies can have.”

Ella had a relatively smooth course battling premature lungs, but she had problems with her heart in the first couple weeks.  A blood vessel outside the heart that typically closes after birth was still open and causing problems.  Doctors were considering surgery when the vessel finally began to close with medication.

Laney, on the other hand, had a full-fledged fight against an infection by the end of the first month.  She needed to go back on machines to help her breathe, and had a more difficult time overcoming the problems with her lungs.  It was a day-by-day course, and each day brought the possibility that she wouldn’t make it through the night.

The problems continued for both: jaundice, anemia, low potassium levels, eating problems – nearly two dozen diagnoses for each girl.

  “Any baby born that premature is going to have problems, and these twins were no exception.  They faced a number of serious complications,” Dr. Johnson-Robbins says.

From warmers to isolettes to ventilators and much more, the girls took full advantage of the NICU equipment that had been funded with Children’s Miracle Network dollars.

“You really can’t look anywhere in the NICU without seeing items that were purchased with Children’s Miracle Network funds,” Dr. Johnson-Robbins says.  “Technology changes constantly and we need to keep up with those changes.  We’re able to do that with help from the donors.”

Every day, the girls’ progress was monitored – sometimes showing improvement, sometimes taking a step back.  But slowly, they continued to grow and improve, with small victories at every visit and every phone call.

“Time wasn’t even measured in whole days anymore.  If I called in the morning and they were doing well, that only lasted me until the afternoon,” Kelly remembers.

After 11 long weeks, however, the twins had finally improved enough to go home.

“They went home three weeks before their due date,” Dr. Johnson-Robbins says.  “It was kind of remarkable that they were both ready to go home at the same time.  That doesn’t always happen with twins.”

After all their battles, they left with just a handful of medications and apnea monitors, to keep track of their breathing – another remarkable feat. 

Today, time is marked a little slower again – most recently with their third birthday, celebrated with their parents and their older siblings, Olivia and John.  And while each birthday is a celebration of one more healthy year for the girls, it’s also a time for their parents to remember everything they went through.

“Their birthday is so much different for me than what most kids’ birthdays are – and it will be forever,” Kelly says.  “It’s amazing.”