The proud parents of newborn twins in Michigan were finally able to meet their children three weeks after needing to go into quarantine after the birth when both mother and father tested positive for the coronavirus.
Pictures showed Jennifer and Andre Laubach, both 36, holding their twins Mitchell and Maskim for the first time at Beaumont Hospital in Troy, a hospital spokesman said.
“It was very emotional,” Jennifer said. “They seemed so tiny and fragile. I cried when I thanked the nurses for taking care of them while we were unable to.”
Although she had gone into isolation at home, after a week Jennifer started feeling coronavirus symptoms such as shortness of breath on March 19. Andre, in the meantime, developed more severe symptoms starting March 24.
On April 2, Jennifer’s water broke. She was 32 weeks in and had conceived the twins through IVF. On their way to the hospital, Andre, as asthmatic, started coughing and gasping for breath. Jennifer was forced to drive herself to the hospital and left Andre back home with her brother, reported Good Morning America.
“I looked back at Andre not knowing if I would ever see him again,” Jennifer said.
Minutes after her water broke, both Jennifer and Andre tested positive for the coronavirus.
On April 3, Jennifer gave birth but her sons were immediately whisked away to the NICU while Jennifer went into quarantine. She said she felt “really fearful” that she would infect the twins.
Over the course of 20 days, she could only see her newborns via video chat.
“I couldn’t have done it without my nurses at Beaumont, Troy,” she said. “Isolation was incredibly lonely and depressing. My nurse held my hand and wasn’t afraid to touch me. She cheered me and encouraged me.”
Thankfully, both twins tested negative after three long weeks, Jennifer and Andre were cleared to meet the newborns on April 23.
Little Mitchell went home first two days after that initial meeting with Maksim set to follow within the week.
“I just want people to take this virus seriously and not take your loved ones for granted, that’s for sure,” Jennifer told GMA. “My heart goes out to all the people who don’t have a happy ending.”
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