MURRAY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – A Utah family is extra thankful this holiday season. They have twins; the miracle of birth times two. But it can be double trouble if they arrive fragile and clinging to life.
ABC 4 had unprecedented access to the Newborn Intensive Care unit at Intermountain Medical Center and the Galanis family's journey to parenthood.
When Nicholas and Avery Galanis arrived, three lives hung in the balance. Mindy Galanis had developed a life threatening condition, and the babies were forced into the world six weeks early. Her husband Nick says it was traumatic. "You want to protect your wife, and there's a lot of risk there, and you want her to be well and you want everything to be perfect, but at the same time you have two others that are there that though you haven't met, you have the same love for."
Both babies were born weighing about four pounds. Mindy and Nick knew having twins increases the risk of early labor, but their research didn’t prepare them for reality. "You can prepare for being a parent, you can prepare for everything that you need, but nothing truly prepares you for what it's like to walk into the NICU and see babies attached to the monitors." Nick says.
Mindy says she was also unprepared to leave them behind after she was discharged. "I was discharged from the hospital and leaving them here, that was definitely the hardest part." Nick says their home suddenly felt lonely and too quiet. "You go home and you see an empty room where they should be.”
A few weeks later, Avery and Nicholas are only a few feedings away from going home. They no longer require oxygen and feeding tubes. Baby bottles are now the barrier between the twins and the door. The goal is full feedings, for 48 hours, to be discharged. "There's pressure in every feeding. You just want them to be able to take the full amount."
Avery out-performs her brother. Nicholas misses a feeding, and it becomes apparent the twins will not go home together. Nick says it’s a disappointing set-back. "You don't want to discredit how much it means to have one home, but at the same time, you are still going to have that empty feeling knowing that there are two car seats in the back of the car but only one's full."
Nick and Mindy are about to embark on a new life. Avery’s discharge means taking shifts at the hospital with Nicholas. It also means caring for Avery without the help of nurses and monitors watching over them. "It’s pretty overwhelming not to have the monitors to rely on." Mindy says.
After everything the family has been through, now normal new-parent jitters set in. Nick says he’s excited, but nervous. "Honestly I am scared to death. You think you know what you are doing but really when it comes down to it, I have no clue, and we have not one, we have two. "
Avery is buckled into a car seat that would have been far too big for her just weeks ago. Her parents are anxious to take her home but reluctant to leave. They leave after just one more kiss for little Nicholas. His father says “hopefully he’s just one day behind.”
We are happy to report the entire Galanis family celebrated their first Thanksgiving together. Both babies are reportedly doing well, and mom and dad are adjusting.
