07/11/2025
Experiencing care as a patient and employee. 💙👣 Norton Healthcare employee, Michaela Barber shares her miracle journey in her own words.
"Because of Norton Healthcare and Norton Children's, I'm here. My babies are here. And now, we're soaking up every snuggle with our healthy boy and healthy girl. They remind me every day of the strength, support and care I received from the place I'm proud to work.
We battled infertility for years. Our dream was to start a family, and we sought help from a fertility specialist. I never expected to need fertility coverage, and I never expected it to be included in my employee benefits. But because of those benefits and my role at Norton Healthcare, we were able to pursue IVF and finally move forward.
My leaders and co-workers were incredibly supportive of endless appointments, procedures and surgeries. I consider co-workers family and really leaned on them during this process.
After more than a year of treatment, we finally got the news that I was pregnant with twins. We were overjoyed, but also nervous. Twin pregnancies come with added risks, but, thankfully, my care team was there every step of the way. They made me feel heard, supported and safe.
As my pregnancy progressed, I received weekly care through the Norton Children's Maternal-Fetal Medicine team. The team made me feel at home and ensured my babies were getting the best care possible.
On March 22, I was admitted after experiencing extreme swelling, headaches, upper abdominal pain and fatigue. Within two hours, I was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome — a severe, life-threatening form of preeclampsia. Dr. Tuller made the decision to deliver our twins early, at just 34 weeks and 3 days.
I was terrified. I knew my babies would be in the NICU, and we had been through so much to get them here. I feared for my life and for the lives of my babies. The teams moved quickly in getting me prepped. Everyone was SO supportive and boosted me up in ways I can never repay. We laughed, we cried, and I knew by God's grace I was in the best hand possible as were my babies.
At 5:11 p.m., Kennie Maybe Barber was born, weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces. One minute later, Cole Charles Barber followed at 5 pounds, 10 ounces.
I held them for a brief moment before they were rushed to the NICU. I now believe NICU parents are the strongest. That's when the next part of our journey began. It was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced.
Our daughter needed help regulating her temperature and blood sugar. Our son, Cole, struggled to breathe and was placed on life support the day after delivery. It was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced. The feeling of not being able to do anything but watch. Thankfully, within a few days, he was strong enough to come off the ventilator and continue breathing with support.
We spent 2½ weeks in the NICU. That's when we all became family. The care team was nothing short of amazing. Not only did they take care of all of us, they showed my husband and I how to care for our precious miracles. With their help, my husband and I became confident and were able to laugh and find the simplest of joys when it came to our little ones.
We celebrated the little milestones: bigger bottles, moving from incubators to open cribs, and even the tiniest baby t***s that made us laugh. The NICU became our second home and a place of healing."
