When she and Art were ready to start a family, that ongoing care led to a referral to Rachael Lopez, M.D.<\/a>, medical director of OB-GYN at the Women\u2019s Health Pavilion<\/a> at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center<\/a>, who guided them through their fertility journey.<\/p>\n Jessica became pregnant in 2023, but the pregnancy ended in miscarriage. When the couple tried again in 2026, they initially believed she was not pregnant. After taking a couple of at-home pregnancy tests, Jessica scheduled anappointment with Dr. Lopez to confirm the pregnancy, where the hopeful couple found out she was pregnant.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like such a blessing because I was told I would never be a mom,\u201d Jessica recalls.<\/p>\n At one of their prenatal appointments in May, the couple received another surprise: Jessica was carrying identical twin boys.<\/p>\n Although MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center offers high-risk pregnancy care and was closer to their home in Arizona, Dr. Lopez recommended that Jessica and Art continue their care at Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital<\/a>in Long Beach, the region\u2019s only children\u2019s and women\u2019s hospital. This allowed them to access a higher level of specialized care while remaining with the MemorialCare system.<\/p>\n Jessica\u2019s complex twin pregnancy required a higher level of maternal and neonatal care, including a Level IV maternity center<\/a> and Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)<\/a>\u2014the highest designation in the nation. Because both hospitals are part of MemorialCare<\/a>, her care team could connect her with the specialized care she needed while ensuring her medical history and care plan followed her without disruption.<\/p>\n When an Ultrasound Changed Their Pregnancy<\/p>\n Jessica and Art continued traveling to California for prenatal appointments. Because Jessica was carrying identical twins and had underlying health concerns, her pregnancy required close monitoring.<\/p>\n At approximately 17 weeks, an ultrasound revealed a serious complication known as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS.<\/p>\n TTTS can develop during identical twin pregnancies when babies sharing a placenta receive an unequal supply of blood. The condition can place both babies at risk and requires specialized evaluation and treatment.<\/p>\n The couple\u2019s sons, Jesiah and Jethro, were already showing signs of complications.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce we identified the complication, we knew Jessica needed to be evaluated by a fetal surgeon immediately,\u201d said Alice Sherman-Brown, M.D.<\/a>, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital. \u201cWecoordinated an emergency referral to another area hospital, and within hours, she underwent fetoscopic laser surgery, a minimally invasive procedure used to treat TTTS.\u201d<\/p>\n During the procedure, the surgeon used a small camera inserted into the uterus and a laser to seal the abnormal blood vessel connections in the shared placenta. Closing those connections was intended to create a more balanced blood supply between the twins and reduce the strain on both babies.<\/p>\n In the weeks after the procedure, the twins showed signs of improvement, giving Jessica and Art reason to hope. But their relief would be short-lived.<\/p>\n Holding On to Hope Through Heartbreak<\/p>\n Despite the intervention, Jesiah\u2019s condition worsened. At a later appointment, Jessica and Art learned that their son might not survive.<\/p>\n Days later, an ultrasound confirmed that Jesiah no longer had a heartbeat.<\/p>\n Jessica was grieving the loss of one son while still carrying and trying to protect the other.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was still life within me, and I had to be strong for my healthy baby, Jethro,\u201d said Jessica.<\/p>\n As the pregnancy progressed, additional concerns developed, including fetal growth restriction, abnormal amniotic fluid levels, and risks to Jessica\u2019s health. She was admitted to Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital\u2019s Perinatal Special Care Unit (PSCU)<\/a>\u2014a unit that connects the High-Risk Pregnancy Program<\/a> with the care the baby would soon receive in the NICU. The unit is where moms-to-be stay on bed rest and try to keep the baby in the mother\u2019s womb as long as possible to help the baby grow and develop.<\/p>\n The PSCU cares for women with high-risk pregnancies who may need to remain hospitalized for days, weeks or months before delivery. Its specialized team coordinates fetal monitoring, ultrasounds, advanced testing, medications and other treatments based on the needs of each mother and baby.<\/p>\n \u201cJessica came to the PSCU carrying both the grief of losing Jesiah and the responsibility of protecting Jethro, all while managing concerns about her own health,\u201d said Vineet Shrivastava, M.D.<\/a>, medical director, maternal fetal medicine specialist, Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital. \u201cThe PSCU gave us the ability to be alongside her every day\u2014closely monitoring her and Jethro, coordinating testing and treatment as their needs changed, and making sure she understood and had a voice in each decision. During a long hospitalization away from home, that combination of specialized medical care and consistent personal support is an important part of helping a mother feel safe and cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n Jessica\u2019s hospitalization meant remaining in California, away from the couple\u2019s home and family in Arizona. As the days became weeks and then months, however, Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital became more than the place where Jessica received medical care. The people caring for her became part of the family\u2019s support system.<\/p>\n One nurse, Kelly, became an important advocate for Jessica, helping her raise concerns about her blood sugar levels and ensuring her questions were addressed.<\/p>\n Another nurse, Teresa, gave Jessica and Art a children\u2019s book that she had read to her own children for 20 years. Inside, she wrote a personal message for Jethro.<\/p>\n \u201cThey made us feel like family,\u201d Jessica said. \u201cNot just another patient.\u201d<\/p>\n Those relationships became especially meaningful as Jessica and Art prepared for a delivery they knew would bring both joy and grief.<\/p>\n Welcoming Jethro While Saying Goodbye to Jesiah<\/p>\n When it was time to deliver, Jessica underwent a cesarean section on Oct. 5. Jesiah was stillborn, and Jethro was born at approximately 29 weeks and admitted to the Level IV NICU<\/a> at Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s.<\/p>\n A Level IV NICU provides care for critically ill and premature babies with complex medical needs. The NICU at Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s also includes the region\u2019s largest Small Baby Unit<\/a> and its Tiny Baby Program<\/a>, which provide specialized care for babies born at less than 28 weeks gestation (full term is 40 weeks) or weighing less than 1,000 grams (2.2 lb). Most NICU\u2019s don\u2019t have these capabilities and other area hospitals often send their extremely low birth weight babies to Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital through our Maternal\/Fetal Transport Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n Together, these resources surround the smallest and most fragile babies with specialized neonatal care and advanced technology in one place, so the team can respond quickly as each baby\u2019s lungs, heart, brain, feeding and development needs change. The Small Baby Unit provides a developmentally appropriate next step in care, using dimmed lights and hushed sounds to mimic the mother\u2019s womb and support micro-preemies as they continue to grow and develop. Jethro, who remains in the NICU, continues to grow stronger every day.<\/p>\n On the same day, Jessica and Art experienced two profoundly different moments: welcoming Jethro and saying goodbye to his identical twin brother, Jesiah.<\/p>\n The couple did not expect to have an opportunity to hold their sons together. Then Annie Petteys<\/a>, MSN, FNP-BC, CPLC, with the Perinatal Connections Program<\/a> and Pediatric Palliative Care Program<\/a>, helped make that moment possible.<\/p>\n As Jessica and Art prepared to take photographs with Jesiah, the NICU team arranged for Jethro to be brought to their room. For a brief but deeply meaningful moment, Jessica and Art were together with both of their boys.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t think we were ever going to have a moment where it was just our family of four,\u201d Jessica says. \u201cI don\u2019t know what she did, but I\u2019ll forever be grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n The care team also created keepsakes honoring both boys, including photographs, a shadow box and pendants featuring their footprints.<\/p>\n Those gestures mattered to Jessica because they recognized something she never wanted to be overshadowed by the joy surrounding Jethro\u2019s birth: Jesiah was also her son.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen a family is experiencing the loss of a baby, it is important to honor that child\u2019s life and give the family space to create memories in the time they have together,\u201d Petteys said. \u201cAcknowledging Jesiah as Jessica and Art\u2019s son and Jethro\u2019s twin helps affirm that he will always be part of their family. These moments and keepsakes can also give parents something tangible to hold on to as they grieve and remember their child.\u201d<\/p>\n Finding Compassion Beyond Medical Care<\/p>\n As Jessica recovered from delivery and Jethro received care in the NICU, the family faced another painful milestone: saying goodbye to Jesiah.<\/p>\n Rev. Candace Kelly, a member of the hospital\u2019s spiritual care team, had spent time praying with Jessica and Art and supporting them through their loss. When it was time for Jesiah to leave Jessica\u2019s recovery room, Rev. Kelly accompanied him.<\/p>\n \u201cSaying goodbye to a child is an extraordinarily painful moment for any family, and there is never enough time to say goodbye to someone you love, especially your child,\u201d Rev. Kelly said. \u201cWe approach each family with the utmost care and respect, following their lead and doing everything we can to protect that time for them. Our role is to be present without rushing the moment, allowing parents the space they need to hold their child, speak to them and say goodbye in the way that feels right for their family.\u201d<\/p>\n Having someone they knew and trusted accompany Jesiah provided comfort during an especially difficult goodbye.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy to let go, but knowing that we had that relationship with Rev. Kelly helped,\u201d Jessica says. \u201cIt was a familiar face and not a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n That sense of connection extended throughout the hospital. Jessica remembers physicians checking on her outside scheduled appointments, nurses offering encouragement and care team members making the family feel recognized and supported. Even members of the food services and housekeeping teams became familiar faces during the couple\u2019s hospitalization.<\/p>\n Taking Jethro\u2019s NICU Journey One Day at a Time<\/p>\n As Jessica and Art grieved Jesiah, their attention also remained on Jethro and the uncertainty that can come with having a baby born prematurely.<\/p>\n Jethro\u2019s NICU journey included both progress and setbacks. At one point, he developed an infection that required treatment.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/1794072500_550_unknown-5-727925-z4jjeepl-823202-3sMX4vqc-683x1024.jpeg\")
Courtesy photo.<\/p>\n