A baby boy who died at 21 days old 'saved' his little twin sister and mum after pushing to be delivered at 24 weeks – now his twin is healthy and thriving. Breanna Seibel, 29, believes her son, Teddy, saved her life and that of his sister, Vivi, now nine months, after doctors were forced to deliver the babies early.
The twins were born 14 weeks early, via emergency c-section on April 23 2022, with Teddy arriving at 4.30pm weighing 1lbs 7oz, and Vivi at 4.31pm at 1lbs 6oz. Both babies were whisked to the neonatal unit at United Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota, US, with brain bleeds and had to be monitored around the clock.
Teddy had been looking healthier out of the two until he took a sudden turn for the worse. He died in his mother’s arms on May 14 2022 from a brainstem herniation, as a result of the bleed.
His parents, Breanna and Chase, 31, an electrician, chose to lay Teddy next to his sister Vivi. They say her stats increased as soon as they did.
Little Vivi battled a haemorrhage, bleeds, and double lung pneumonia. She was finally discharged after 101 days hospital in August 2022 and is now hitting all her developmental milestones.
Breanna, who is studying for a master's degree in nursing, Wisconsin, US, said: “Teddy saved his sister’s life. Doctors told us that if I hadn’t given birth when I did the chances are all three of us wouldn’t have made it.
"His head was right at the birth canal pushing to come out, like he was trying to warn us. Losing Teddy was horrific, he passed away in my arms.
“When we wrapped Teddy up and brought him in to meet his sister her stats increased, and she started to improve. She is a miracle.
“It’s remarkable from what she came from. She inspires me so much.”
Breanna and Chase had been delighted to find out they were expecting twins in December 2021, after trying for a baby for four years. Breanna’s pregnancy had been going smoothly until she started to experience back pain at 23 weeks and three days.
She said: “It just felt different to me. They checked me and found I was already a centimetre dilated.
“I started having contractions seven minutes apart and then three minutes apart.” Breanna was given steroid treatment to try and decelerate her labour and was transferred to United Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota, US.
Her labour miraculously slowed, and doctors aimed to get her as far along as possible before delivering the twins. Breanna managed to get to 24 weeks and one day before doctors had to perform an emergency c-section after the mum-to-be started profusely bleeding at 7cm dilated.
Speaking about the size of her babies, Breanna said: “The babies were so small they could fall out of me. Teddy's head was in the birth canal ready to come out."
Teddy and Vivi were born on April 23 2022 and doctors realised that mum and the twins may not have made it after seeing Breanna’s placenta shredded from a placental abruption after opening her up. Breanna wasn’t able to see her twins until later that day but made sure her husband Chase stayed with them until she was able to join them.
Breanna said it was "numbing" seeing her babies whose brains "were as thin as tissue paper". The siblings were in separate rooms, as there was no twin room available, and mum and dad took turns going between the rooms.
Reliving her experience, Breanna said: “It was so up and down. I would go to the bathroom and come back and one of the babies was being resuscitated.”
But Teddy unexpectedly started to go downhill after his head started to increase in circumference from the pressure build-up from his brain bleed. The family were told to say their goodbyes as there was nothing more they could do.
“I fell to the floor screaming and crying when they told me there was nothing more they could do,” Breanna said. Teddy lost his battle and died on May 14 at just 21 days old.
“His breathing slowed down and he passed away in my arms,” Breanna said. Despite their loss, the parents tried to stay strong for their daughter Vivi, who still had a long way to go.
Miraculously she was able to leave hospital and head home, on oxygen, on August 2 2022, just nine days before their due date. “We were told it would be a miracle if she wasn’t hospitalised,” Breanna said.
But Vivi has defied the odds and has been hitting all her developmental milestones. “We are blessed that she is doing as well as she is,” Breanna said.
“Teddy is a big part in Vivi getting better. Teddy died so Vivi could live.”
Now Vivi is a healthy 13lbs 6oz and wearing three to six-month-old clothing. The family hope to hold a memorial this year for Teddy and have pictures up of him around the house so Vivi knows who her brother is.
Breanna who frequently shares updates about motherhood on her Instagram @breannaseibel wants to support other parents of premature babies. She said: “I want to give other 24-week parents hope and tell them they will get through it."
