Sessink Squad: Miracle Triplets Born During a Global Pandemic

Jessica and Justin Sessink’s first daughter, Sophia, was just 13 months old when they found out they’d be expecting fraternal twins. The Sessink’s were shocked by this news since multiples do not run in their family. During an appointment at another area hospital early on in Jessica’s pregnancy, the ultrasound tech noticed something strange, and suddenly exclaimed: “Sweet baby Jesus, there’s three of them!” Jessica was determined by her care team to be high risk, and was transferred to a specialized team at Hurley Children’s Hospital. Although she was reluctant at first about having her babies at a different hospital, with a different team of doctors and nurses she immediately knew she was in the right place.

Throughout her pregnancy with the triplets, she suffered from complications of a shortening cervix; something she battled during her pregnancy with daughter, Sophia, just over a year prior. She was able to carry Sophia full term despite these issues and she was determined to do the same for her triplets. Jessica and Justin were attending appointments at Hurley every other week until one day, the team informed her that her cervix had shortened too much and she would need to start coming in more frequently. As if coming in two times a week wasn’t already enough strain for this multiple mom-to-be, the COVID-19 pandemic forced intense visitor restrictions at the hospital during the first week of her new appointment schedule, so she had to come completely alone.

At 20 weeks, Jessica was told by her high risk care team that her cervix had shrunk too drastically and that she would need to be immediately admitted to Hurley and put on bed rest. Jessica, devastated, pleaded with the team to let her return home to say goodbye to her daughter, Sophia, and the team agreed to allow her a quick trip home. By the time she pulled in the driveway, she had already received a call from her clinical care staff stating that she could stay home if she promised to remain on strict bedrest, and that’s just what she did.

Each week she would go into Hurley for check-ins with her doctors, and each week they would tell her that she probably only had a little bit longer until her babies would need to be delivered, but she always outlasted their predictions. Jessica woke up the morning of her 27 week appointment feeling wonderful. She kissed Sophia and Justin goodbye, and headed out telling them she’d be back in a couple of hours, but her babies had another plan in mind. This time, the team at Hurley said she really had to stay; the babies were ready for their much anticipated arrival.

The newest members of the aptly named Sessink Squad were delivered by emergency C-section on May 20th, 2020.The boys spent a combined 258 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Hurley Children’s Hospital, with the tiniest triplet at birth, Logan, going home first at 76 days, followed by fraternal twin brothers Dylan and Ethan at 91 days.

In so many ways, the coronavirus pandemic made life more difficult and more isolated in the year 2020, but for the Sessink’s it provided them with the time they needed to slow down, and gave them three beautiful, healthy baby boys. They say that they owe everything they have to the team at Hurley Children’s Hospital for taking care of their little miracles.