Ellen Glaze Lane felt prepared for a less-than-routine birth for her boys, which is not uncommon when having twins. But nothing could have prepared her and her husband, Will for their experience in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Regina’s General Hospital.

Ellen’s pregnancy had been uneventful until her 27th week, when she began to experience extreme discomfort, and questioned whether she could be in labour. When Will and Ellen got to the hospital, their worst fears were confirmed; the twins were going to be born 13 weeks early.

John’s birth was fairly straightforward, but immediately after, doctors could see Arthur was in trouble, so they performed an emergency C-section. Because they were so small – three pounds and two pounds 12 ounces respectively – they both needed to be intubated to help them breathe immediately after being born, before being rushed to receive specialized care in our NICU.

Ellen and Will knew the boys would need special care and attention. Thanks to a consultation with pediatrician Dr. Naeem Parvez, they remained calm, even when John suffered a brain bleed and needed a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line to deliver critical medication he required for his condition, Arthur required blood transfusions to treat low hemoglobin, and both babies suffered from various infections while in the NICU.

“We knew the sky wasn’t falling,” Ellen recalls. “We already knew it could happen and that it would likely be okay, which saved us so much stress.”

What did cause stress, however, was severe apnea episodes both John and Arthur experienced after feedings. They were unable to keep their food down, causing complications with their breathing, heartbeat and growth. This reflux caused both boys to have a longer stay, as John and Arthur both had to last five days without having what was considered ‘an episode.’ Sometimes, just as the boys appeared they were ready to go home, they would have another episode – Arthur experienced 16 of them in a 24-hour period.

After all his challenges, and 81 days in the NICU, John was finally ready to be discharged, but Arthur still required more care before he could join his family. Twenty days later, after 101 days in the NICU, it was Arthur’s turn to come home.  

“I cried a lot that day,” Ellen says. “A special chapter in our lives was coming to a close. We were leaving behind the people that we came to know very well, who cared for our kids and walked us through some of the scariest days of our lives. As much as I wanted my babies’ home, I appreciated everything that the NICU gave us during that time.”

After their stay in the NICU, the Lane twins still needed care from Regina’s hospitals. They successfully completed the neonatal follow-up clinic at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, a program that monitors and supports toddlers who needed the NICU as newborns. Today, they continue to hit all of their growth milestones, but still have some complex needs and see pediatrician Dr. Shauna Flavelle for on-going care.

“Our pediatric medical teams at Regina’s General Hospital and the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, are second to none. They have been there for John and Arthur again and again in their greatest time of need,” said Lisa Green, senior vice president, Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “Their story is an example of how better lives are made possible by our community who support our local pediatric services for kids like John and Arthur.”