On the night of June 1, 2006, Vonda gently rocked backed and forth with her infant son Aarie cradled in her arms. She believed it would be her last chance to hold her precious little boy. All the tests, all the signs, and all the medical information suggested that a virus had completely shut down Aarie’s bowel and that he wouldn’t live through the night. So she did all that a mom could do: She held him close against her body, she prayed, and she hoped.

The next morning, Aarie was still alive. In fact, his bowels had moved during the night – a sign that somehow, against the odds, the virus was receding. “This little boy fought for his life,” says Vonda, “and I think knowing that he had somebody there loving him and fighting with him made a difference.”

Meanwhile, Aarie’s twin brother Aaden was fighting some very big battles of his own. He had a hole in his heart that would require surgery, and he needed to do quite a bit of growing. After a long road of ups and downs, Aaden got healthier and stronger, too.

In the end, each of Vonda’s boys spent nearly 100 days in the St.Vincent Women’s Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit. But they eventually got to go home. And now they’re rambunctious little explorers. “They’re amazing,” Vonda says of her boys. “They’re two characters! There’s no brain damage. No eye problems. No kidney problems. They’re both getting ready to walk.”

Not bad for two babies born at just 25 weeks and six days’ gestation.

Vonda’s experience in the NICU was one she’ll never forget. “The staff is amazing,” she says. “They are truly blessed. The talent and the knowledge that they have is just outstanding. I thank the Lord for them every day.”

It’s important to have trust like that when your babies need the highest level of care.