MILWAUKEE — Twin sisters Mionni and Mioree started life together, but for the past three weeks, they have been apart.
Mionni has been home with their mother, Emahriyah Jackson, while Mioree remains in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee.
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But recently, the sisters were reunited at the hospital, lying side by side once again.
“It’s so beautiful,” Jackson said. “I almost wanted to cry when I put them both in there.”
The girls were born June 22 at 32 weeks, each weighing 2 pounds, 13 ounces. Nearly two months later, both are approaching 6 pounds.
“It’s kind of exciting and scary to see them go from so little to they’re almost 6 pounds now,” Jackson said. “Seeing their progress is just very beautiful.”
Mionni was discharged from the hospital, while Mioree remains in the NICU as she works on consistently works on feeding.
As the sisters grow stronger, nurses at the Milwaukee hospital are noticing an unusual trend.
“This year in particular has been an abundance of twins, or multiples ... we’ve even had triplets,” said Ascension Columbia St. Mary's NICU Nurse Susana Crespo.
Nationwide, the twin birth rate declined from 2014 to 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee, however, has recently experienced a surge in multiple births.
During the past four months, the hospital’s NICU has cared for four sets of twins and one set of triplets.
Crespo has spent 22 years caring for some of the hospital’s smallest patients. She said the unit would typically see only a couple of sets of twins during an entire year.
Although the recent influx of multiples has kept the staff busy, Crespo said the work extends beyond providing medical care. Nurses also help parents become comfortable caring for babies who may be connected to intravenous lines or other medical equipment.
“The babies still need that human contact to help them grow,” Crespo said.
For Jackson, that support has made a frightening experience easier. She said hospital staff members offered advice and encouragement before her cesarean section.
“I was very nervous at first, but talking to everyone and getting advice and pep talks, it definitely kind of calmed my nerves,” she said.
Now, the most difficult part is waiting. Jackson lives about 35 minutes from the hospital and continues to make the trip back and forth while caring for Mionni at home. She said she is ready for the day both daughters can finally be together outside the NICU.
“I’m very excited. I can’t wait,” Jackson said.
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