Twins Born Weighing Less Than 3 Pounds Combined Return to Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital NICU to Celebrate 10th Birthday

On Friday, May 5, Zachary and Kylie Bretz returned to the place they called home for the early months of their lives – the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. This time it was to support their grandmother, Barbara Vanett, with her initiative of giving back to the NICU that saved her twin grandchildren’s lives a decade ago.

Zachary and Kylie were born prematurely at 25 weeks with a combined birth weight of less than 3 pounds. Their lungs were not yet developed, requiring the doctors at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital to take lifesaving measures to keep them alive. Kylie spent 72 days in the NICU before her parents could bring her home. For Zachary, it took 90 days before he was released from the NICU, and he required an oxygen machine until he was 7 months old.

Today, the Bretz twins are thriving socially, academically and athletically, making it hard to believe Zachary and Kylie began their lives in critical condition. However, Vanett hasn’t forgotten the lifesaving treatment her grandchildren received at the Children’s Hospital NICU. That’s why Vanett invites the community to join her in supporting the Level IV NICU at the Children’s Hospital, as a way of celebrating the twins’ 10th birthday.

The Level IV NICU at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, located on the campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, provides the highest level of NICU care in the region, able to care for babies born at all ages and weights, as well as infants who have critical illnesses. Neonatal surgery is available on-site.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you to the team that provided excellent care to Zachary and Kylie and supported our family during a very challenging time in our lives,” Vanett says. “Giving back is a way to honor Zachary and Kylie and the NICU that cared for them as the twins continue to grow without major complications.”

Donations will support the training necessary for a Small Baby Program, which is dedicated to the care of babies born at less than 25 weeks. This program helps to improve outcomes for extremely premature babies as well as shortens their hospital stays. The overarching goal of the program is to transform care provided by the interdisciplinary NICU team to improve the experience and outcomes for premature babies and their families. This interdisciplinary approach to family-centered care allows extremely premature babies to not only survive, but to reach their milestones.

Visit the Bretz twins’ fundraising page.