Meet Addie and Millie

Savannah and Jared weren’t expecting any surprises when they went to their first ultrasound appointment. Then the ultrasound technician said, “Yep, they’re both in there.” When the couple looked puzzled, she clarified, “You’re having twins.” They burst into uncontrollable laughter, both shocked and delighted at the thought. They couldn’t wait to meet their babies. But they didn’t think they would meet them so soon.

On Saturday, April 25, 2025, Savannah came home at 3 a.m. after an evening work shift. An hour later, she began bleeding heavily. Savannah and Jared hurried to their local hospital in northwest Ohio, where doctors told them that Savannah — only 25 weeks pregnant — was in labor. Her doctor arranged for her to transfer to Columbus via ambulance for the birth, more than 100 miles from home.

Twenty-four hours later, Addie (Adelaide) and Millie (Amelia) were born. But their battles had just begun. Addie had swallowed amniotic fluid during birth, which gave her a blood infection. Later, Millie contracted a viral infection. In addition, Addie and Millie’s doctors knew that they would need to be transferred to Nationwide Children’s to be treated for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a condition in which the fragile lungs of premature babies become damaged by the ventilation they need to survive.

On June 16, Addie and Millie were transferred to Nationwide Children’s. At first, Savannah and Jared were nervous about learning the layout and staff of a new facility. But the Nationwide Children’s team quickly earned their trust.

A nurse practitioner recognized that Millie was in the early stages of necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal condition, and got her treatment before it progressed. Meanwhile, Addie, who relied on a ventilator to breathe for her, was given ventilator settings used for BPD babies even before she moved to the BPD-specific unit. This improved her lung function over time. Savannah and Jared saw how the team’s attention to detail and proactive care made a difference. “I trust Nationwide Children’s doctors implicitly, because not only do they know their field, but they have really great interpersonal skills and bedside manner,” Savannah said. “You see that it’s not just a job to them… they would give anything to help your babies,” Jared said.

The team also ensured Savannah and Jared had housing at the Ronald McDonald House and consistently included the parents in Addie and Millie’s care. They made themselves available to the family, educated them thoroughly and never forced them to make any certain decision. “We were treated as our babies’ experts,” Savannah said. “That meant a lot.”

After many months of care, Millie’s gastrointestinal issues improved and Addie was able to breathe on her own with supplemental oxygen. The twins came home just in time for Christmas. It was the best gift Savannah and Jared could have imagined: the four of them celebrating a holiday, at home, for the first time. “I remember feeling on Christmas a little bit of sadness for the families that were still in the hospital, but… I know that they were taken care of,” Savannah said.

Today, Addie loves to eat, crawl, snuggle and laugh. Millie climbs on everything and has a sassy personality. Their parents are proud of how far they have come and they’re deeply grateful to Nationwide Children’s for their care, expertise and support.

“It’s not the closest children’s hospital, but it was the best choice for our twins.”