The Rosnett family is hoping for a second miracle.
Earlier this year, Angelique and Cole Rosnett were faced with an unimaginable choice.
The couple were told that to save the life of their daughter Ivy, they would have to have a medical procedure that would put the life of their daughter Kiylee at risk.
At 16 weeks pregnant Cole and Angelique were told the twins were growing at different rates.
Kiylee was diagnosed with Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction, meaning she shares very little of the placenta which restricts her blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to grow properly. She also had low amniotic fluid. While normal range is 2 to 8 centimeters, she barely had 2 centimeters. Multiple doctors recommended having a surgery that would give Ivy a better chance at survival. The parents even flew to a specialist in Miami to try and give Kiylee the best shot at survival. Both twins proved to be fighters and started to improve without the surgery. The couple returned home and hoped for the best.
On Jan. 24 the couple, along with their doctors at Carle Foundation Hospital, made the difficult decision to deliver the twins. An ultrasound showed that Kiylee was in severe reverse blood flow.
On the day of delivery the doctors had placed the babies on monitors due to the reverse blood flow.
“Kiylee had a huge drop in heart rate and they knew it was time to deliver,” Cole said.
“It was dangerous to keep them in any longer,” Angelique said.
Kilyee weighed one pound four ounces at birth and her sister, Ivy, weighed just over two pounds.
“I can’t describe the feeling I had seeing them,” Angelique said. “I felt so much fear for them and was terrified to hear if they were going to make it.”
Angelique said her daughters looked like tiny baby dolls.
Cole said seeing the girls was overwhelming.
“I felt so much love and happiness and felt so proud,” he said. “At the same time I felt scared.”
Despite being so small, the girls have made their personalities known.
Angelique said Ivy is laid back where as Kiylee doesn’t like to be messed with. Cole said both girls can be feisty.
“They are fighters for sure,” he said.
Cole said the girls often show their differences.
“Sometimes they are doing the exact same thing and their vitals are all the same,” he said. “Other times one will be calm and the other will be moving around a lot and then they switch.”
Babies born as small as Ivy and Kiylee face long hospital stays but the family is relying on their faith in God to help them stay optimistic.
“I focus on God in this time like I always try to do,” Cole said. “He has done so much for me and has tested me, but he has given me everything I’ve wanted ultimately.”
Cole said God has blessed him with a family of his own, a healthy 15 month old daughter and two newborn twins who are fighters.
“We are happy they came out alive and overall well for their age,” he said.
Angelique was discharged from the hospital a few days after the twins were born.
Leaving the girls at the hospital was hard for both parents, despite them knowing the twins need to stay in the NICU.
“It’s been very hard to go home every day,” Angelique said. “It’s like leaving part of your heart behind.”
Cole said it helps to know the girls are getting the best possible care and said there is only so much that he and Angelique can do for the girls as parents right now.
“I know they need the doctors more than us right now,” he said. “All we can do is stay strong mentally and physically keep ourselves healthy so we can be there for them.”
The parents recently got to hold their daughters for the first time.
“Their tiny little fingers wrapped around the tip of mine brought pure joy to my heart,” Angelique said.
Cole said that seeing his girls alive, moving and fighting has helped him focus on the positive.
“Seeing their features and being able to see them in person has been amazing,” he said. “I am so thankful that they are alive and fighting.”
The girls have had some setbacks, including an infection in their intestines and difficulty breathing.
“I fear for their lives,” Cole said. “I also worry about them having problems as they grow with how their body grows and functions.”
Despite his fears, Cole said he believes God will protect the girls and they will come home eventually.
“I’ll enjoy the day when I can snuggle up with all four of my beautiful girls as a family,” he said. With four girls in the house I will be outnumbered, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. “
Friends of the family have started a Gofundme to help with the twins medical expenses.
Donations can be made here.
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