Family Who Lost 2 Of 3 Triplets Learn To Heal At Ronald McDonald House
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The family of baby Maverick is learning to heal every day. They stayed in the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware for more than three months. After losing two of their three triplets, the Simmons family has an incredible story to tell.
And, one day, it will be quite a story for little Maverick to tell.
"Maverick and his two siblings, he's a triplet, were born Sept. 3 at 25 weeks premature," said mother Shane Simmons. "Definitely the scariest times of our lives."
Vivian, Maddox and Maverick were rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit.
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"Vivian was 1-pound, 4 ounces; Maddox was 1-pound, 11 ounces; and Maverick was 1-pound, 14 ounces. Their skin was translucent. I couldn't touch them. They obviously couldn't breathe on their own," said Simmons. "We sadly lost his brother and sister within a few days of having them due to complications of premature birth."
At 2 weeks old, Maverick was transferred to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital, where his fight to live was just beginning.
Maverick's mother and father live about an hour-and-a-half away, and had no plan about where they were going to be staying.
"The nurse, when we had checked in Monday night, said, 'Tuesday morning, I'm gonna contact the Ronald McDonald House,' and I said, 'What is that?'" said Simmons.
It would actually become the family's home for the next several months, providing a sanctuary where they could get away from the hospital, even if it was just for a home-cooked meal.
"Every night a volunteer group comes in and cooks dinner at 5:30, every single night, and that to me was huge because it made us step away. The NICU will make you go crazy. I mean, you're literally sitting there watching your child's monitors nonstop," said Simmons.
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Hailey, Maverick's big sister, is also making the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware her home.
"She would ask me, 'Is my brother gonna live?' because she lost two other ones. It was hard to explain to a 9, almost 10-year, but this place made it easy. I always tell people this place made us very humble," said Simmons.
As the days went on, Little Maverick started to pull through.
"You really fight with the feeling did you do the right thing to keep them alive? But we did, and it paid off. So he's now 5 months old, 8 pounds, other than regular follow-ups, he came home, no oxygen, no tubes," said Simmons.
As Maverick continues to get strong, his family continues to heal. As part of the process, Shane and Jason Simmons are raising money and collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House.
"It was all on our own," said Jason Simmons. "We really just felt like we wanted to give back."
They are a whole family with big hearts.
You can help children just like Maverick. Join us next Tuesday for our 10th annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Telethon.
