It all started with a prayer

A big brother's unlikely wish for twin siblings comes true in College Station.

At age five, Jared Anderson, Jr. decided he wanted siblings—two to be exact, a brother and a sister—and he wanted them at the same time.

Dad Dr. Jared Anderson, Sr., a physician at Baylor Scott & White in Brenham and College Station, and mom Kelly explained to young Jared that his wish was “just not possible,” and that if his parents were blessed with another pregnancy it would likely be only a brother or a sister, not both. However, Jared Jr. was determined and prayed every night for a brother and a sister.

Then, in December 2017, the Andersons discovered that—to their complete surprise—they were indeed expecting twins.

“Jared was pretty blasé about it when we told him,” Kelly says. “He just shrugged and said ‘I know.’ Meanwhile, we’re standing there with our jaws on the floor.”

Kelly’s pregnancy was generally uneventful through the first and second trimesters. Then, in the third trimester, she began experiencing pre-term labor and was put on bed rest to extend the pregnancy and give the twins more time to develop.

On the evening of Father’s Day 2018, Kelly went into labor at 34 weeks and gave birth the next day to two beautiful babies, a boy and a girl. The tiny duo were immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - College Station.

"We felt bombarded with intense feelings of joy and fear, but the NICU staff gave us a sense of comfort and peace." Kelly Anderson

“As we started to understand the challenges the babies were facing, we felt bombarded with intense feelings of joy and fear,” Kelly says, “but the NICU staff gave us a sense of comfort and peace.”

Jesse and Julia would have to learn to breathe, eat, and keep a regular body temperature on their own before they could go home. In addition, the parents discovered that Jesse had Down Syndrome, which presents its own set of mental and physical challenges as an infant grows.

After 16 and 18 days respectively, Jesse and Julia graduated from the NICU and went home to a thrilled big brother. They are now three years old and thriving.

In gratitude for the care Julia and Jesse received, the Andersons generously donated funds to purchase a retinal camera for the NICU, which allows doctors to capture high-quality images of newborns’ eyes to identify ocular issues, especially those common among premature infants.

“Words cannot begin to express how thankful we are to the NICU staff,” Kelly says. “Not only did they provide great care, they were also there for us during our most vulnerable moments as parents, answering our daily barrage of questions with grace and love. God answered Jared’s prayers, and the NICU staff faithfully showed us His loving grace as they cared for our sweet babies.”

Learn More

To learn more about how you can support the NICU at College Station, please contact Kassi Horner at 979-571-4872.