AFTER almost three months beside the hospital cots of their tiny premature twin daughters, Alexandra Hills parents Anton and Julie Ann Vlahos have received welcome news.
Faith Julianna-Rae has successfully undergone an operation at Mater Mothers to close a heart condition that had placed extra strain on her heart and lungs, while identical twin Hallie Lumi is continuing to build towards the day she can finally go home.
The girls were born on June 30 at just 26 weeks and two days – more than three months early.
Hallie weighed 737 grams and Faith only 459 grams.
Their parents have since faced the relentless uncertainty of neonatal intensive care while caring for their three-year-old daughter Ariah at home.
Faith’s journey has been especially complex.
At just seven days old, and weighing only 400 grams, she suffered a bowel perforation caused by necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a severe and potentially life-threatening intestinal disease that mostly affects premature babies.
She underwent surgery and was given an ileostomy, which diverts part of the bowel through an opening in the abdomen to allow the intestine to heal.
Faith later faced a significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a condition in premature babies where a normal fetal blood vessel fails to close after birth, allowing extra blood to flow into the lungs.
Her father Anton said Faith underwent an operation last Wednesday to close the PDA.
The procedure was successful and she is recovering very well.
“There have been moments when we have stood beside her bed absolutely terrified, watching machines breathe for our daughter and hoping that her tiny body could keep fighting,” Mr Vlahos said earlier.
“And she has. Again and again, Faith keeps fighting.”
Hallie has also made remarkable progress after months of respiratory support, feeding tubes, monitors and procedures.
There is no firm date for her discharge, but her parents hope she may be home within the next two weeks if she can continue to build her strength with bottle feeds and come off oxygen support.
For the Vlahos family, Hallie’s eventual discharge will bring both joy and a difficult new reality.
They will be caring for Hallie and Ariah at home while continuing daily trips to remain beside Faith in hospital.
“It will be an incredibly difficult chapter for our family,” Mr Vlahos said.
“Hallie is fighting her way home. Faith is fighting simply to get there.”
“There will be no moment where we simply leave the NICU behind when Hallie is discharged.
“Instead, our family will temporarily be divided between home and hospital.”
The couple have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover fuel, parking, meals, household bills and other everyday expenses while allowing them to remain present for both twins through the next stage of their journey.
“Asking for help isn’t something that comes easily to us,” Mr Vlahos said.
“But right now, what we want more than anything is the ability to spend this precious and frightening time focused on our children rather than constantly worrying about how we will keep everything financially afloat.”
“Until the day we finally have all three of our girls together under the same roof, we will keep showing up for them every single day.”
Donations or shares can be made through the family’s GoFundMe page, Our 26-Week Miracles: Help Us Be There Every Day.
