For the first time ever at the QEII Hospital, newborn twins are able to be together in the same crib after they were born. The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation was able to purchase four new neonatal cribs through donations made to the 2day FM Cares for Kids Radiothon held in December 2016.
Drew and Payton Yamkowy were born on May 1st and were the first babies to use one of the four beds. Mother Shelley Yamkowy says using them really gave her peace of mind.
“It is a lot nicer to have them together in a crib and not have one in one with the other beside. I think it will help them get stronger so we can get out faster.”
Drew was 6.5 pounds when he was born while his sister Payton was 4 pounds 14 ounces. With a two and a half year old at home, the parents are excited to head home start doing everything on their own.
“If they had to be separated any longer, I don’t know if I could handle it” says Yamkowy. “They needed to get back together to get stronger and give each other the vibes.”
The neonatal cribs are used for twins to co-sleep after they’re born to help them regulate each other’s body temperature and comfort each other. The practice is widely used in NICUs to help premature twins develop.
An average of 2,000 babies are born in Grande Prairie every year. In 2016, there were around 26 sets of twins born.