Thank you to Riley and Katie for sharing their deeply personal and incredibly moving NICU journey with us.
January 17th, 2026:
Katie and I started the day by going out to spend some time with Katie’s side of the family at their cabin. I went out ice fishing with her step-dad, two brothers, uncle and cousin. Katie stayed back in the cabin with her mother and aunt. A few hours into ice fishing, I got a call from Katie saying that she didn’t feel well and had been having some unusual cramping. After she called the hospital about her concerns, they had said that we should come in to get checked out at some point later in the day. I packed up my ice fishing gear and headed back to the cabin. Before going to the hospital, Katie’s mother offered me a bowl of chili to warm up, which I gladly accepted. Katie urged me to just leave as these cramps had her concerned, although I really wanted to finish that bowl of delicious chili. After one look from Katie across the room, halfway through my bowl of chili, I realized that we needed to head out. We packed up and headed to Tamarack Health Hospital in Ashland, WI.
Once we arrived at the hospital and were settled in the room, the nurses started to assess what was going on with Katie. After a short bit, we found out Katie was 3 cm. dilated and she was in pre-term labor. This hit Katie and I like a freight train because neither of us expected this or even thought it was possible, she was only 24 weeks pregnant. The doctors went into a flurry trying to get drugs started to slow or stop the labor. They also got in contact with the closest NICU in Duluth, MN (about 70 miles away) as Ashland did not have the capabilities to support pre-term babies, and especially not babies as early as ours. Duluth could not send the helicopter for Katie and the babies due to weather, and the labor was progressing too fast to send Katie in an ambulance to Duluth. After 15 minutes, Katie was now already 6 cm. dilated. It was then decided that we were going to have to have an emergency C-section to give the babies the best opportunity for survival. We were rushed through information, signatures, and paperwork to do the C-section as soon as possible. Duluth was sending 2 NICU Teams to assist as soon as possible, but it would be over 2 hours before they arrived. The whole time this was going on, the Ashland team, Katie, and I were being led by the lead NICU doctor from Duluth over a video call on a mobile computer station.
The C-Section was performed and both babies were born at 1 lb, 11.5 oz at 24 weeks and 2 days. Maren was first and Finn followed, two minutes after. Both babies, being so tiny, were handled with extreme care by the Ashland Team. Most of the nurses and doctors on the Ashland team had never even seen babies so tiny. The nursery in the birthing center was turned into an impromptu NICU for the care of Finn and Maren until the NICU teams from Duluth arrived. About an hour or so after the C-Section, the Duluth NICU Team arrived, coming in like cavalry to take over the care of Finn and Maren. They handled the situation like the seasoned professionals they are, and were able to get Finn and Maren stable enough for transport to the NICU in Duluth at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital. Once the babies were stable, they were set for transport and wheeled by Katie’s room where she was recovering from the C-Section. The only glimpse that Katie got of the babies was the bundle of blankets keeping them warm in the transport isolette. The babies were rushed to the NICU in Duluth. Katie’s brother and I went to Duluth immediately after the babies so that I could be with them. Katie was devastated that she could not leave the hospital immediately after her C-Section. Once I arrived in Duluth, I found the NICU and our babies. Doctors and nurses continued to work with Finn and Maren throughout the night to get them as stable as possible. Katie was able to check out of the hospital and meet the babies the next day.
Finn and Maren were both in the hospital in Duluth, MN, for about 4 weeks before Finn had to be transferred to Children’s in Minneapolis, MN. Finn was transferred due to NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis) and dual IVH, one side being Grade 3, the other being Grade 4. Grades go from 1 to 4, 4 being the most severe. IVH is an Intraventricular Hemorrhage or a brain bleed, specifically in or around the ventricles of the brain.
Finn was treated for his conditions at Children’s while Maren remained in the hospital in Duluth. She could not be transferred with her brother as insurance deemed it an unnecessary upgrade of care. Our family was separated by over 150 miles while both babies fought their battles. Over the next 16 weeks, Katie and I would spend every day with our babies. One of us in Duluth with Maren and the other with Finn in Minneapolis. Every week, whoever was in Minneapolis would drive to Duluth after spending the day with Finn. Katie and I would go out to dinner and spend the night together. In the morning, whoever was in Duluth for the past week would stop by to see Maren then head to Minneapolis to be with Finn. Needless to say, we put a ton of miles on our vehicles.
On May 21st, Maren was discharged from the hospital after 124 days in the NICU. We immediately went to reunite our whole family. Maren was discharged on home oxygen. Since then, we have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House about 15 minutes away from Children’s in Minneapolis. We have been with Finn every day as he continues to grow and recover. He has definitely had his fair share of ups and downs through this journey though we have been fortunate that he has had more ups. He still has a long road of recovery ahead of him but he continues to improve and fight with all his strength. Maren is now off oxygen assistance completely, and we just recently got our first look at her as a “cordless” baby. No breathing tubes, no monitors, all smiles.
From Katie, Finn, Maren, and I, we could not thank the Northern Lights Foundation enough for the generous help that you provided us. It has helped us with meals, gas money for our many miles of driving, home utility and mortgage payments, medical bills and so much more. Thank you could never express how grateful we are.
Sincerest of thank you’s, with love,
Riley, Katie, Finn and Maren Bretting
