Twin brothers Brennan and Liam were born prematurely at 28 weeks in 2017 and needed the highly specialized care of the IWK to have a fighting chance.
Brennan had trouble breathing on his own and needed respiratory support. “There were times where they weren’t sure if he was ever going to breathe on his own,” shares Kaitlyn, their mom.
Liam, shortly after being born, got sick with an infection in his bloodstream that spread to his brain, causing meningitis. His care team also found a large abscess on his brain, which required him to need multiple brain surgeries to remove the abscess.
Although Brennan and Liam were able to finally go home after spending four months in the IWK’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, their health challenges were not yet over.
“Brennan had a rough couple of years, as his lungs developed,” shares Kaitlyn. “Every time he had a respiratory virus, he would struggle.” Thankfully, Brennan is doing much better and hasn’t had any hospitalizations since 2020.
Liam has had his own challenges. “He continues to have some digestion issues,” says Kaitlyn. “We were told he may never walk when his brain infection was discovered, but he’s now a fearless runner and jumper.”
Liam and Brennan are autistic and were diagnosed in 2020. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts brain development, which can cause communication problems, difficulty with social interactions and a tendency to repeat specific patterns of behaviour.
They rely on an AAC device to communicate. “Brennan uses a device to complement his oral speech that he’s developing,” says Kaitlyn. “Liam uses one as a primary communication tool as he doesn’t currently speak,” Kaitlyn adds.
Now seven years old, both boys have come a long way. “Brennan loves math and reading and learning new words in different languages,” says Kaitlyn. “Liam is affectionate and happy all the time and has made great strides at school with support from his school.”
Kaitlyn and Brodie, the twin’s dad, are thankful not just for the IWK but also for the IWK donors. “To say thank you doesn’t seem like enough,” says Brodie. “Without them, we may not have these boys today.”
