From tiny fighters to big hearts: How Sophie and Leo turned their birthday into a NICU fundraiser
Patient Story
For years, twins Sophie and Leo had heard stories of their unexpectedly early birth in 2018.
They heard about the touques volunteers knit them during their six-week stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); the little notes nurses left their parents on their behalf each night; and the hand-drawn milestone tracker staff set up to celebrate each small progression the babies made.
The more they learned, the more they came to appreciate how much those little acts of kindness meant to their mom and dad in their scariest moments.
Eight years later, Sophie and Leo shared their gratitude, using their April birthday party to collect donations for the NICU at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) in lieu of gifts.
“We’ve always taught them to help others, but when they came up with the idea for a fundraiser on their own, it made us so proud,” says mom, Nicole
They were excited to do this. They said: ‘We don’t need gifts. We just want to help little babies – and that’s what they did.
An unexpected arrival
Eight years ago, when pregnant with Sophie and Leo, Nicole and husband Mack knew an early birth was a likelihood. But when Nicole’s false labour turned into real labour at 31 weeks, the first-time parents were thrust into a situation they couldn’t have prepared for.
Nicole was nearly fully dilated when she arrived at the hospital – and everything happened fast from there.
Sophie was born first in a relatively easy birth, but when doctors tried to move Leo out of his transverse position, the baby’s heart rate decreased – prompting an emergency C-section.
“It was all a whirlwind; you feel every emotion possible in those moments,” says Mack, who had to leave the room once the emergency surgery started.
You hope for the best but every minute that passes, you start fearing the worst.
With both babies sent to the NICU immediately, Nicole and Mack weren’t sure what would happen next.
The importance of care close to home
The new parents were told the NICU at WRHN @ Midtown (formerly Grand River Hospital), didn’t typically care for preemies born before 32 weeks. With Sophie and Leo just days shy of that threshold, there was a chance the babies could be transferred to McMaster Children’s Hospital.
There was also a chance that Leo, who needed extra care, would be sent to Hamilton on his own while the more stable Sophie stayed behind.
Staff at WRHN worked hard to stabilize Leo over his crucial first 48 hours so the family could stay together.
“That was the first thing that stood out about the care, because I can’t imagine what we would have done if we had been separated like that,” says Nicole.
They made sure we could stay together, we were close to our support networks, and that meant everything.
“My office is five minutes away from the hospital so I still got to be around as much as possible,” adds Mack, who returned to work after two weeks. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that if we had to travel to Hamilton every day.”
Reaching new milestones
The babies spent 38 days in the NICU as their tiny bodies continued to develop and grow. During that time, NICU nurses taught the new parents hands-on preemie care, building their confidence day by day.
Nicole and Mack remain grateful for that personalized care.
“Nurses in that situation, it’s such a high-demand job, it would be easy for them to just do what they had to do and tell us to figure out the rest – but they didn’t do that,” Mack says.
They were so helpful that by the time we got to take them home, we felt so competent, and so excited to start that new chapter.
Today, Sophie and Leo are typical eight-year-olds. They love spending time with their friends and family, including their two-year-old sister Mila.
Sophie is a competitive dancer while Leo does martial arts. Their party – a dual theme of KPop Demon Hunters and Pokemon – was attended by 40 friends and family who not only celebrated the twins, but supported their NICU fundraiser.
For Sophie and Leo, the party symbolized more than a birthday celebration. It was an acknowledgement of the excellent care they received eight years ago.
“It’s so important for newborns to get off to a good start,” says Mack.
That’s exactly what WRHN gave them.
Behind every milestone is a donor like you — help another kid reach their next milestone today.
Each gift does more than fund equipment and programs. It makes every meaningful moment possible.
Be part of a generational opportunity to strengthen our health network.
Support new ways to connect the nearly 1.5 million people across WRHN’s catchment area to the care they deserve.
Let your experience inspire others.
Whether you’re a patient, family member, donor, event participant or proud WRHN staff, sharing your story and connection to Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) is a powerful way to show how donations impact our community in real, tangible ways.