Ryan and Kimberly Liebowitz were thrilled to learn they were having twins.

“It was very exciting,” Kimberly says. “And it was also a little overwhelming, but in a good way.”

On the day of the delivery, Kimberly and Ryan couldn’t wait to meet their babies. After laboring for 15 hours at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital, Kimberly successfully delivered a beautiful little boy named Jacob and a sweet little princess named Anna.

“The twins were very healthy,” Kimberly says. “But since they were a little early, they needed to go to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to learn how to eat. They lacked that skill.”

Life in the NICU

Though the Liebowitzes knew their twins needed extra care, the thought of leaving the hospital without them was devastating.

“It’s very scary as a first-time parent to know your kids can’t go home with you,” Ryan says.

“It’s also scary to see your baby with wires everywhere and a feeding tube,” Kimberly adds.

But the caring staff in the NICU helped support the family and alleviate their fears.

“They were so great, and I actually felt like I became friends with all the nurses,” Kimberly says. “They would send me pictures, or they would send me text messages of them sleeping. So it felt very personal, like they were really looking out for my babies.”  

After 16 days, Kimberly and Ryan were finally able to take their babies home.

“I don’t think people understand the importance of the NICU until you are there,” Ryan says. “We learned so many things from the nurses. And being first-time parents, we felt a lot more prepared when we brought the twins home.”

Raising twins

Today, life is very busy in the Liebowitz household. The tiny NICU babies have transformed into vibrant, rambunctious 10-month-olds who keep their parents on their toes.

“The joy that these two bring to both of us is amazing,” Ryan says. “And the joy that they bring to our marriage is wonderful.”  

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