SickKids Stories

Guest blog by Frank, dad to twins Milayna and Naya

Over the past 14 months, SickKids has felt more like home to me than our place. In March, 2016, my wife, Stephanie, and I became first-time parents. We had twins, Milayna and Naya, born early. Milayna stayed in the NICU in the hospital where she was born for a while, until she was big enough to be discharged.

Naya had more complications – things I’d never heard of, like an ‘omphalocele’, which meant some of her organs were on the outside, because of a hole in her abdomen. She had many heart defects, too. So Naya went to SickKids. She was in the NICU for months, then in a room on the 5th floor with mom, because she needed to get stronger and bigger for open-heart surgery. She had her surgery, and then another one, but there were lots of complications and setbacks, including cardiac arrest and a stroke.

But my girl’s a fighter. Steph and I watched her fight the odds. She did it her way. All this time, Stephanie and I were trading off – Stephanie with Naya, me with Milayna, vice versa. We brought Milayna to see her twin sister when we could. Our family was a huge help. But basically, our life was SickKids. And laundry. Laundry to bring home from the hospital, and clean laundry to return the next day. 

When Naya was stable, we got into a rhythm. I’m an HVAC installer. I’d get up before dawn, so that I could get to my job sites early. I’d work my day, and on break, I’d text and call Stephanie, and check on Milayna. When work was done, I’d take off my boots, and drive to the hospital to spend time with Naya. Weekends, I’d juggle between the twins. 

Being a father means everything to me. We’d had to be so patient. Naya was in hospital for 62 weeks plus a day. But finally, on May 18, 2017, she got to come home. Now we can all be together as a family. Now I can be #dadstrong for my two girls under the same roof. All because SickKids saved my baby girl.