Luke and Levi: Best Buds, Big Hearts and a Whole Lot of Energy

Luke and Levi’s story started long before their mom, Breanna, ever got to hold them. Diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a condition in which identical twins share a placenta and experience unequal blood flow, the boys needed surgery before birth. At just 17 weeks into her pregnancy, Breanna learned that one twin was sending blood to the other, placing both babies’ lives at serious risk. With little time to spare, she traveled to Los Angeles for specialized fetal surgery that gave her sons a chance to survive.

After the surgery, Breanna spent weeks on bed rest preparing for the NICU. When her water broke at 21 weeks, the family feared the worst. Instead, the pregnancy continued and Breanna spent the weeks that followed focused on reaching each new milestone as her boys fought to stay in the womb a bit longer.

Through all the uncertainty, she turned fear into knowledge, asking questions and finding every way she could to participate in their care. As she prepared for life with premature twins, she spent hours learning about NICU nutrition and the important role human milk can play in helping fragile babies grow and develop.

Luke and Levi were born at 28 weeks and 4 days, weighing just 2 pounds, 10 ounces and 2 pounds and 12 ounces respectively.

Despite their early arrival, they were healthy, which was the best-case scenario Breanna had hoped for. In the NICU, they received Prolacta’s Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) fortifiers. For Breanna, it was reassuring to know the nutritional approach she had researched and advocated for with her care team would be part of their care.

Today? “If you met Luke and Levi, you’d never know the rough start they had,” Breanna shared. The boys are sweet, affectionate, full of energy and positivity. They’re so attached to the people they love that the family sometimes calls them barnacles! They’re inseparable, the way you’d expect twins to be. They do everything together, including swimming, where their talent shines through. The family recently went on a trip to see the boys’ favorite band, Twenty One Pilots.

Luke and Levi are also big brothers now. Their little sister had a much easier start, which Breanna says was healing for her. With a house that’s full, there are still no quiet moments, but the family feels incredibly blessed. “I constantly tell them that they are miracles,” she added, “and that’s always a good reminder for me when they’re driving me batty!”

Breanna remains grateful to the medical professionals and companies like Prolacta who played a part in saving her boys’ lives. “They’ve thrived and grown into smart, healthy boys,” she said, “and I owe it all to the help we had at the start.”

*Any views, opinions, findings, assertions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are solely those of the individual. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.