Nicole Fine

This year, we walk with scars, gratitude, and a story we never imagined would be ours.

Our twins were born far too soon — at 25 weeks gestation and each weighing under two pounds. We met our babies through incubator walls and wires. We learned the sound of ventilators before we learned the sound of their cries. We celebrated grams gained instead of months grown.

There were moments we were told to prepare our hearts. Moments when we were told our son might not make it. In the first two weeks of his life, we stood beside his NICU bed as multiple life-saving surgeries were performed — right there at his bedside. We watched as he fought for every breath, every heartbeat, every hour. Those surgeries resulted in an ostomy — a visible reminder of just how hard he had to fight to stay here.

This week, that ostomy was successfully reversed. A milestone that once felt impossibly far away.

Today, the same babies who once weighed less than two pounds now weigh over six pounds and are thriving. Thriving — a word that once felt out of reach.

The NICU changed us. It stripped us down to fear and built us back up in faith, resilience, and perspective. It showed us the strength of our children, the brilliance of medical teams, and the desperate need for continued research and advocacy for premature babies.

We are walking in March of Dimes March for Babies in honor of Theo and Sienna — and for every family who has ever stood beside an isolette praying for another sunrise.

Because no parent should hear the words “your baby might not make it.”

Because babies born too soon deserve every chance.

Because research, support, and community are the reason our children are here.

We believe God carried us through every surgery, every setback, every terrifying conversation, and every miracle milestone. Even in the NICU, He was writing a bigger story than we could see.

Theo means “gift from God,” and Sienna means “radiant” or “light.” And that is exactly who they are — our gift, our light, our living proof that even in the hardest beginnings, hope shines brightest.

If our story moves you, we would be deeply grateful for your support as we walk for healthier beginnings and stronger futures for all babies.