Viviann & Sonni

Child's Birth Year
2025

State/Province/Territory
New York

NICU Hospital for my journey
Arnot Ogden Medical Center

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Viviann & Sonni were born 3 months early due to severe preeclampsia, IUGR, and twin to twin transfusion.

Viviann was 1.4lbs and 10.63 inches long. She spent 28 days on an oscillator ventilator, 91 days on respiratory support, 33 days intubated, 9 echos, 6 eye exams, 4 blood transfusions, and 1 picc line. She had a large size PDA and she had days with lots of bradycardias. Especially when she was extubated and had 21 bradys in one day. Viviann dealt with severe reflux. She took 4 tries to pass her car seat test and then after 104 days, she came home!

Sonni was 15 ounces and 10.63 inches long. She spent 28 days on an oscillator ventilator, 112 days on respiratory support, 44 days intubated, 9 echos, 6 eye exams, 7 blood transfusions, and 3 picc lines. Sonni had many days where she scared us with bradycardias and extubating herself on Christmas. In January, Sonni developed late onset GBS which led to sepsis and suspected meningitis. She spent 21 days with a picc line treating it and overcame it. She had a large PDA and two small VSDs in her heart. Sonni had abnormal screenings that led to further testing but it came back normal! She dealt with many heel sticks, needles, prods, X-rays, and pokes. She was a fighter the entire time. She had a hard time staying on room air because of reflux. But after 116 days, she came home with no respiratory support !

What makes you proud of your NICU graduate?
I’m so proud of the way these girls fought each day. They have a fight in them that made them never give up, even in the hardest and scariest times. They had every odd stacked against them with such low birth weights. They faced every challenge with bravery and proved to all of us just how strong they are. I’m proud of how far they have come. Even as small girls today, they are hitting gestational milestones.

In the beginning of their stay, their large PDAs were causing some respiratory issues and cardiology thought the girls would need to be sent to another hospital to have them surgically closed. But, the words of the cardiology team “the girls shocked us” and their respiratory needs started to improve. Today they both have small PDAs and Sonni’s VSDs closed. Viviann is 7.7lbs and Sonni 6.5lbs. Our miracle babies!

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
1.4lbs & 15 oz

Weeks Gestation
26 + 6 Weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
104 days & 116 days