Angela Holp

March of Dimes Walk 2025 - Our Story Update - 
One whole year home with both girls and it has been a whirlwind to say the least. The ups and downs, the tears, the smiles, everything medical kiddos bring with them and every moment being worth everything. Both girls are growing and thriving in their very own ways defying odds that doctors said would never be possible. We have grown as a family, we have grown as individuals, but most importantly we have simply GROWN. One day at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time, we continue to push through anything that is thrown our ways. Surgeries, tests, millions of doctors appts, therapy 6 days a week times 2 girls, and big sisters activities, yet somehow we manage to grow stronger as a family as time goes on. Faith and Ivy truly show the meaning of what it is to be fighters and nothing will ever change that. We will walk again in their honor to show just how strong they are and what precious gifts they will always be. 

March Of Dimes Walk 2024 -  Our Story - 
Christmas 2022 was one of the very best as we shared the news with family and friends awe were expecting to our surprise. Little did we know that wasn’t the biggest surprise of them all… as the end of January approached I became extremely sick and just brushed it off as morning/all day sickness. We had had enough and made an appointment to check on baby. We walked in praying baby was okay and walked out with knowing both babies were okay! TWINS!! We were beyond shocked but immediately accepting we were chosen to be twin parents! The sickness subsided but as week 15 approached, it was time to check on babies with ultrasound. Little did we know our worlds were about to turn unspide down and we were about to jump onto the longest train of our lives! 

I received heartbreaking information while alone at a appointment that I now had to tell dad and those necessary! Our babies were not growing, one baby had irregular heart flows and it was likely we were facing surgery and the loss of one if not both babies! We were told to give it a week and at the recheck we would need to make the best decision for my health and theirs! The next week came and upon leaving it was determined I would have to travel to Baltimore Maryland  to John Hopkins twice weekly for monitoring as they were the only hospital capable in performing either potential surgery needed. So the travel began, because giving up on either baby wasn’t a option to us! 

24 weeks is considered viable; however as we approached the 24 week mark (despite all the scares and other problems) the babies were measuring weeks different causing the new problem of, would both babies make it if we were to deliver. We prayed, followed our hearts and despite all the odds against us we made it 2 more weeks before ultimately being told I would need to choose where to be admitted until the babies were born no later than 32 weeks (which guaranteed us time in the NICU). After talking the decision was made to head home and admit myself to WEST PENN where I would stay for up to 6 weeks and where the babies would stay until they were able to come home! 

We made it 8 whole days! On Thursday May 18th, I told dad to go home and try to live as much of a normal life as possible because for some reason I felt that we would be meeting the babies much sooner than thought! Later that night I felt off and no longer felt the babies moving, I asked the nurse to check them on the monitor and even though their heart beats were picking up, I still knew something wasn’t okay! 5am on May 19, 2023 the nurse placed me back on the monitors and our world quickly changed! By 8am it was decided that the babies needed to be born as soon as possible and I needed to get dad there to be with me during surgery! Scared out of our minds it was time to meet 2 very tiny little ladies! 

May 19, 2023 at 10AM our identical twin girls were born weighing 1lb 6oz and 2lb 5oz. And our NICU journey began. 

WEST PENN NICU very quickly became more to us than ever expected. They are now a piece of us and our family forever! After nearly losing both girls multiple times, being transferred to children’s hospital for both girls, and gaining life long friends along the way we will forever be grateful for everything WEST PENN NICU AND STAFF did for our girls and family! 

Baby B spent 113 days total in the combined NICUs and Baby A spent a whopping 260 days total in the combined NICUs! 

We walk in their honor as the strongest and biggest fighters we know! Against all the odds and despite needing the tiniest of equipment today both girls are growing and continuing to fight against anything thrown their way, still with WEST PENNS staff still being one of their biggest supports! 

We are so happy to have both girls home with us and big sister and we can’t wait to continue seeing them best the odds!