Fearfully and Wonderfully Made A Miracle Times Two

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

A Miracle Times Two

Ellen Keaton

The Ashland Beacon

In a year already marked by fear and uncertainty, hope was born—not once, but twice. Tiny, fragile, and fighting for life, Addison and Everly entered this world at just 27 weeks, weighing barely two pounds each. Their story is one of heartbreak, faith, and undeniable miracles. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless strength of a mother’s love. This September, during NICU Awareness Month, their journey reminds us all why we believe in the impossible.

Every year, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm, and most will spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to receive the specialized treatment needed to help them grow and survive. September has been designated as NICU Awareness Month—a time for families to share their stories of hope and a time to recognize the nurses, doctors, and caregivers who fight desperately to save the tiniest of lives.

Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Jillian Keeton and her family can testify to the truth of this verse. The joy of discovering you're going to be a mother is beyond words. Your mind floods with a million questions: Will I have a boy or girl? Who will they look like? Whose personality will they have? But no one ever prepares for the unexpected.

The year 2020 was already a frightening time, with COVID-19 running rampant. Amid the chaos, Jillian learned she was pregnant. She was thrilled—and so were her parents, Susie and Danny Keeton, who were about to become grandparents. Then came the first surprise: Jillian was carrying twin girls! Joy turned into double the excitement.

A pediatric nurse who also floated through the NICU at King’s Daughters Hospital, Jillian had seen many tiny babies fight for life. She had no idea her own daughters would soon be among them.

“I had COVID when I was about 17–18 weeks pregnant, but there were no complications with that at all,” Jillian shared. “I had felt a little more tired a couple of days before, but I was pregnant with twins and still working. Other than that, there was no indication of any problem at all—until the day the girls were born.”

On the morning of January 3, 2021, Jillian woke up bleeding and went to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a placental abruption. With her nursing background—especially her NICU experience—she knew exactly how serious it was to deliver at just 27 weeks.

After spending the day in the hospital, the bleeding stopped, and doctors were preparing to send her home. Then it suddenly started again. What followed was a whirlwind of decisions and emergency action. Plans were made to transfer her to Cabell Huntington Hospital, which had a more advanced NICU. But when the transport team arrived, they deemed her too unstable to move—the babies would have to be delivered there.

“It was an awful time,” Jillian’s mother Susie recalled. “The hospitals were still on COVID lockdown. I was called and told it was really bad, and I needed to come, but I knew they wouldn’t let me in. She could be hemorrhaging and dying, and there was nothing I could do! Danny and I went to the hospital and sat in the parking lot—just to be close.”

Addison and Everly were born just hours later. Addison weighed 2 lbs 3 oz and was 13 inches long; Everly was only 1 lb 15 oz and 12 inches long. The girls were immediately sent to the NICU at King’s Daughters, where they spent three days before being flown to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “They were so tiny, and it was too dangerous to move them for those first days due to the danger of a brain bleed,” Jillian added.

Both girls were placed on ventilators. Everly suffered a pulmonary hemorrhage the day they were transferred. Shortly after arriving in Cincinnati, doctors found a hole in Addison’s bowel that required surgery and an ostomy, which stayed in place until she reached over 4 pounds. She remained on the ventilator for six weeks. Both babies received multiple blood transfusions because their tiny bodies weren’t making enough red blood cells. They were on feeding tubes and BiPAP machines.

For the next five months, the NICU became their home. Jillian shared, “We were lucky enough to get the only private room on the NICU floor and were able to have both babies in the same room.”

“Five long months I sat in a room with my two babies…most of the time was spent alone. I could not hold them, feed them, or change them for a very long time. I just sat listening, watching monitors, and reading books. The only thing I could really do was buy clothes—and we had a LOT of them.”

The NICU nurses became family. “The nurses on our care team were amazing. We had three that signed up to be on our team the entire time we were there. They would have them bathed, dressed, with bows, and looking cute every morning when I arrived.”

She smiled, “The first time the girls were put in bed together was at St. Patrick’s Day. The nurses had them in the outfits I had bought. It was a big deal to get them together for that photo—but we were able to get it done.”

Eventually, the long days gave way to discharge plans—though not without more complications and plenty of medical equipment. Today, Addison and Everly are four years old. But life with former micro-preemies doesn’t simply go back to “normal.”

“They have weak lungs. If they get any sort of respiratory illness, there’s a chance they’ll end up on oxygen,” Jillian explained. “We still have monitors and oxygen at home, even though they’ve been off oxygen since they were two. They also have tracheomalacia, which means the cartilage in their trachea didn’t form properly and is soft. When we cough, it stays open—but theirs closes down and causes their oxygen to dip.”

They are hopeful that as the girls continue to grow, this condition will improve.

To see Addy and Everly today, you’d never guess how they entered the world or the battles they faced. All you see are two happy, carefree four-year-olds ready to leave their mark. Born at just 27 weeks, these little girls defied the odds. They could have had cerebral palsy, brain damage, or lifelong disabilities—but instead, they are thriving.

Jillian, her parents, and everyone who knows them understand just how much of a miracle they were given. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to give you a future and a hope.”

Grandma Susie may have said it best:“It’s by the grace of God those two little girls are here. We may not know what His plan is, but we know He has something special planned.”

Watch out, world—here come Addison and Everly!