Published, August 30 2024
Helping Families Grow
Arriving at RVH for an assessment the day before her scheduled C-section, Valerie was anxious, excited, and (unknowingly) already in labour.
“Lea was born first. I kissed her sweet little head and marvelled at her tiny fingers and toes [… ] I didn’t get that same opportunity with Verena – at least not right away.”
“My babies needed to be delivered right away. Things were happening so fast!” Valerie remembers. “My twin girls, Verena and Lea, were born one minute apart. Lea was born first. I kissed her sweet little head and marvelled at her tiny fingers and toes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that same opportunity with Verena – at least not right away.”
Moments after her birth, the nurses rushed Verena to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for closer evaluation. Valerie’s youngest baby was in urgent need of specialized care to thrive. Verena spent her first several hours on a CPAP machine until she could breathe on her own and used a feeding tube to get the nutrients her body urgently needed to grow strong and healthy.
Shortly after the twins were born, Valerie took Lea home to meet her two brothers. While it was nice to be back home, her heart ached for Verena – the precious tiny baby she had to leave in the NICU.
“She was surrounded by a team of doctors and nurses who took exceptional care of her and treated her like their own child.”
Valerie Koroshetz, Verena and Lea’s mom
Every day, Valerie and her husband, Erich, visited their youngest baby at the NICU. After 12 long days, they finally got the news that Verena was strong, healthy, and ready to begin her life at home with her family.
“Through RVH, our region’s babies are getting the best possible start to their life,” explains Valerie. “As I raise my family, it means everything to know RVH is there for us when needed.”
In spring 2024, Verena and Lea turned one year old. Their big brothers are ages three and five. As they grow and experience everything the good life – our wild life – has to offer, Valerie is reassured knowing that RVH will be there for them every step of the way.
“In moments like these, I am grateful we can rely on RVH to be there for us, now and as our family continues to grow,“ Valerie says.
Keep Life Wild
Verena is just one of the 146 babies who require the specialized care of RVH’s NICU. Of the nearly 2,000 babies who are born at RVH annually, about seven percent of them will need NICU care, plus RVH cares for around 45 babies each year who are transferred from other NICUs, including the GTA.
RVH is the heart of healthcare in Simcoe Muskoka. As the region grows and ages, the strain on this vital resource is significant.
In 2022, RVH Foundation launched the Keep Life Wild campaign to rally the community to protect our health. Our goal is to raise $100 million to expand the current site in Barrie and build a new hospital in Innisfil. Together, we can reduce wait times, end hallway medicine, and bring more world-class, specialized care close to home. So that everyone in this region
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