Premature Twins Separated in Boston Hospitals, Parents Fear Nurses' Strike

Twin baby girls, born 16 weeks premature at Boston hospitals, remain separated and in critical condition as their parents express deep concern over a potential nurses' strike that could further jeopardize their care.

Juliette and Kendall Kennedy were born on August 31 at just 24 weeks' gestation. Juliette underwent heart surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, while her twin sister, Kendall, who was born one minute later, was transferred to Boston Children's Hospital for treatment of spina bifida, a condition affecting the fetal spine.

Nearly six weeks later, both infants are stable but require delicate medical attention. Their parents, Mike and Kelsey Kennedy, are struggling to divide their time between the two hospitals while also caring for their two other young children at home.

"We feel guilty as it is every time we leave the hospital and can’t bring our children home with us and have them be with their siblings," Mike Kennedy, 30, told The Post. "But at least we had the security of knowing they are in good hands."

This sense of security is now threatened by the possibility of a strike by approximately 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who are in contract negotiations. An indefinite strike is planned to begin next week unless an agreement is reached.

"Our big concern is losing the nurses and that’s what makes it so difficult – the stress of not having [the twins] together and also not knowing what type of care that they’re going to be receiving," Kennedy said. He expressed worry about the qualifications of potential replacement staff, stating, "We don’t have any answers. We’ve tried to reach out to the hospital. The nurses, obviously for legal reasons, can’t talk to us, so they just try to comfort us, but we don’t know who’s coming in or what their qualifications are."

The parents hope to reunite the twins at a single hospital, believing it would aid their recovery. "From day one, we have always wanted them to be together. They were basically hugging one another for 24 weeks in the womb…and then you kind of just rip them out and they’re on their own in traumatic settings," Mike explained. "Ideally, we would love to just get them in the same place so that my wife can hold them and provide milk for them at the same time."

Kelsey Kennedy, a 32-year-old teacher, was recently able to hold each of her daughters for the first time. Both twins weighed less than two pounds at birth and remain on breathing tubes.

There has been a positive development regarding Kendall's spina bifida. Initially, doctors indicated she might need lifelong assistance with basic functions. However, her father reported that she has shown significant improvement, including full movement in her toes and no apparent brain impairment. "It’s kind of scientifically unexplainable, but that’s the case right now," he said. "We’re just hopeful that everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to, and that they’ll both continue to heal."