Nicole and Christian McDonald made their final visit to their sons’ hospital room.
Jadon and Anias had been recovering in a corner room of Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York, for the previous nine months of intense rehabilitation following the procedure to separate the formerly conjoined twins.
When the two brothers had a 27-hour separation procedure in October, it enthralled millions around the world. The twins had shared 5 millimeters by 7 centimeters of brain matter when they were 13 months old, making the delicate surgery that much more challenging.
Jadon and Anias had only known the world from lying on their backs, and the surgery took their verbal and gross motor skills back to infancy. They learned how to use muscles they didn’t even know they possessed during their rehabilitation. It took an enormous amount of effort just to sit up.
Anias’ doctors worried he would never be able to use his right side again. Despite this, he’s began to use his right hand nearly as much as his left in therapy.
Nicole and Christian had envisioned their farewell day at Blythedale since before the operation. In February 2016, the family relocated from small-town Illinois to New York to prepare for the treatment.
Since then, the boys had been in and out of hospitals, first at Montefiore Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital, where the surgery took place, and subsequently at Blythedale. On Saturday, they will turn two years old.
The apprehensions about the procedure have vanished. Trips to the hospital took an hour. The desire to be reunited with their family.
Nicole was the one who got Anias out of his hospital crib. She asked, hugging him near to her heart, “Are you ready to go?”
Christian picked up Jadon from across the room and informed him that he’d soon “get to hang out at home.”
He added, “You get to ride in a minivan.” “You get to be a normal little boy,” says the narrator.
A double umbrella stroller was used to transport the boys. Jadon donned a white helmet with a red Velcro strap, whereas Anias wore a blue-striped helmet.
Their stroller was pushed down the hall by their father. They were accompanied by their mother and Aza, their 4-year-old brother.
It had come to the end of the day, and it was time to return home. Finally.
‘God works through humans,’ says the Bible.
The McDonald house is a hive of activity. Nicole and Christian bought the foreclosed home in the spring. It was in desperate need of rehabilitation in Orange County, New York, with vistas of the Catskill Mountains.
Christian ripped up paneling and tore up old carpet virtually nonstop to get the house ready for his boys. Four men from Texas who are members of their church came to help a few weeks ago. They erected front stairs, installed siding, fixed windows, remodeled the laundry room, and renovated a bathroom in just 212 days.
They also installed an electrical circuit in the boys’ room to accommodate all of their sophisticated medical equipment. To help with his care, Anias will require a feeding tube, as well as a breathing machine and a suction machine. The family will eventually have 16-hour-a-day home nurses.
The split-level ranch home looked more like the set of a restoration reality show less than 24 hours before the lads’ return, with Christian working through the night to finish the work. He took up carpet and put tiles in the basement playroom with the help of his minister and two church members.
“The greatest finding of my time is that a human being may modify his life by altering his attitude,” writes American philosopher and psychologist William James on the wall.
Nicole had made a chili feast upstairs. She travels back and forth between the hospital and her home so frequently that she rarely has time to prepare a meal.
While slicing onions, she had to fight back tears. “Not from the onions,” she laughed when asked about the tears. They’re for the uncontrollable joy at the prospect of bringing Jadon and Anias home. She’d walked through their room earlier. Their newly constructed cribs awaited their arrival.
“My kids have never been separated at home,” she explained. “I can scarcely handle it because I’m so excited. It’s almost as though it’s not real. We’d never been to our parents’ house and had never held a child. It’s going to be spectacular.”
Christian joined her in the kitchen to reminisce on the family’s monumental journey over the previous year. He claimed the boys had been in hospitals for so long — nearly 112 years, if you consider the months leading up to the surgery — that it feels like Jadon and Anias have been hospital wards rather than his own children. “It’s almost as if I’m becoming a father for the first time,” he remarked.
That’s not to say he doesn’t appreciate everything the hospitals have done for Jadon and Anias, from the doctors at Montefiore who operated on them to the Blythedale personnel who worked diligently to get them to this point.
“I’m quite excited to be able to hug my kids while sitting on my couch and only holding one at a time,” he said. “It’s like I’ve got my sons now, don’t you think?”
Jadon and Anias were still linked at the head the last time the boys were home. When their parents needed to transport them, they had to do so in a precisely orchestrated manner.
The family rented an apartment in the Bronx. They now have their own house. They want to take the boys to the park in strollers. They intend to take them to a nearby pizza parlor. Simply expressed, all they want is to be a part of a family.
Nicole said, “I can’t wait to show them the world.”
Christian stated that more than anything else, “I’m really looking forward to them. I’m sure they just want to see their families and return home, and we want them to.”
Both parents express their gratitude to everyone who has expressed concern for their sons and prayed for them. The parents, who are devout Christians, claim their religion has sustained them during this difficult journey.
“It’s times like this that we realize we need God’s support,” Christian remarked. “People are used by God.”
Nicole added, “This bolstered my belief. I would not have survived if it hadn’t been for the presence of God in my life.”
Their minivan was donated by a member of their church. Strangers have donated more than $340,000 to the family’s GoFundMe account, money that has helped the family over the last year, including the purchase of their home and the payment of massive medical costs.
It has not been an easy path. Both boys have avoided seizures and major infections in the months since the surgery, resulting in trips to the intensive care unit.
The parents, on the other hand, believe they’re ready for whatever comes next.
“With these kids, we’ve had miracle after miracle happen to get them to where they are now,” Nicole added. “Our children are on their way home.”
Boys who are’motivated’ and ready to take on the world
The dedicated staff at Blythedale Children’s Hospital helped the lads get back on their feet. They got speech and occupational treatment five days a week in addition to physical therapy. For the foreseeable future, the boys will continue to attend three days of treatment per week.
Jadon’s physical therapist, Mara Abrams, says his tenacity has been amazing. He enjoys literature, toys, and life in general. He’s beginning to pull himself up on furniture and walk sideways along with it with a little help, she said. He’s also on the verge of crawling.
Abrams remarked, “The first step of a fantastic life is about to happen.” “It’s really wonderful to be out of the hospital.”
Jadon’s growth has been nothing short of remarkable, according to her. Because he’d only experienced life from lying on his back, it was tough and daunting when he first arrived.
“All of a sudden, his entire universe shifted,” she explained. “I know it took him a long time to realize the world wasn’t made for him to lie down in, that he had to get into a vertical position and figure out what the world looked like.”
Jadon, on the other hand, took off with assistance. “He’s always been a cheery, upbeat individual. He squeals with excitement as he throws his arms out. He enjoys his visits to the therapist’s office. I’m absolutely overjoyed that they’ll have real-life experiences.”
Many of her favorite memories involve him taking a few steps toward his occupational therapist and grinning from ear to ear. Or the time he was practicing reciprocal leg motion on a tricycle and noticed his mother. “We began to approach her. She and he both yelled with excitement. It was really fantastic.”
Anias has had the most difficulty, both before and after surgery. When twins are linked at the head, one of them is more dominating than the other. Jadon was the dominating one in this scenario, and his body worked overtime to keep both of them alive. In comparison to his sibling, Anias has struggled with breathing and other difficulties. Anias’ body also rejected the skull cap that had been medically implanted beneath his skin to protect his brain, so it had to be removed. When he is seven years old, he will most likely have another surgery to replace his skull top. He’ll be wearing a protective helmet till then.
But, according to Maureen Carroll, Anias’ physical therapist, he has made significant progress as well. Despite being a few months behind Jadon in terms of development, he has made huge strides.
Carroll added that when Anias first arrived to physical therapy, he was afraid of others and only used his left side. He’s now kicking both feet and sticking his foot in his mouth with his right hand on a regular basis. With his twin and older brother, he’s become more social.
Anias, who receives nutrition through a feeding tube, is now 4 pounds heavier than Jadon, weighing 28 pounds.
“He is eager to participate in the game. He wants to relocate, which is incredible “Carroll remarked. “The child who was formerly terrified of people now wishes to interact with the rest of the world. He’s fired up, and that’s a big deal.”
What she likes best about Anias is that “he’s thrilled to be here, and he’s excited to relocate,” she said.
“That’s why my work is so simple,” she explained. “I’m merely accompanying you on your journey. He is the hero and the miracle in this story.”
Bringing the family back together
Early Friday evening, a silver minivan arrived at their house. Mom and Dad exited the house and began preparing for the big event. Jadon played with a ball for the most of the hour-long ride home, while big brother Aza jabbered. Both lads were giggling uncontrollably. Anias was dozing off in his seat, completely unaware of what was going on around him.
Taz and Tyson, the family dogs, greeted the minivan and inspected the newcomers. Taz, a little Maltese/toy poodle mix, jumped into the minivan’s rear seat and sniffed everywhere. When he saw the two lads, his tail waggled.
Nicole carried Anias up the front stairs with care. On their way up the stairs, Christian fetched Jadon and showed him his renovation work: new siding, stairs, and windows.
“I put you in a new window, Jadon,” he explained, “so you may have a clear perspective.” “That’s it. This is your residence.”
Nicole McDonald consoles her son Jadon, who was terrified by the household dog.
The frantic life of raising three sons under the age of five soon filled the house. Aza was on the go. Taz started barking. The twins were utterly unfamiliar with their surroundings.
When Taz barked, Jadon frightened and wept. The parents had expressed their desire to sit on the couch with the boys the night before.
Nicole took a seat on the living room couch and hugged Jadon as he screamed. “This is your house,” she said quietly. “Do not be afraid.”
His tears had dried up.
Anias was the first to fall asleep a few hours later. Jadon was not far behind. In their home, both boys were fast sleeping.
Nicole and Christian both agreed that the moment was even greater than they had hoped for.
Their family was once again complete.