Preemie twins cared for in same NICU that helped their dad 35 years ago

An Ohio man who was born prematurely 35 years ago and spent time in the NICU at Miami Valley Hospital has experienced what is being called a "full-circle moment." His own twins were born prematurely and were cared for by some of the very same nurses in the same NICU.

Key Takeaways:

• Brandon Creekbaum was born in 1991, at 24 weeks gestation. He was cared for in the NICU at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

• Now, his own twin daughters, born prematurely at 32 weeks, are being cared for in the same NICU by some of the same nurses.

The Details:

Brandon Creekbaum was born in 1991 at just 24 weeks gestation. After his birth he was cared for in the NICU at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Now, 35 years later, some of the same nurses who cared for him as an infant are also caring for his twin daughters, Lyla and Iris, who were born prematurely at 32 weeks.

Premature twins Lyla and Iris head home as their dad relives a long-fought NICU victory

“When you walk in, you have a nurse that took care of you holding your child. It makes you think, like, man, that was me,” he told WHIO TV. Creekbaum and his wife Lacey also have a two-year-old son at home.

Kim Morgan is one of the nurses whose career has spanned both generations of Creekbaums.

"I never thought in my career that this would happen, that this situation would happen. When they said, it was Marsha Brawner's primary — she was his primary nurse — I immediately knew it was Brandon Creekbaum. It's one of those names that we that are still here will never forget," she said, noting that Brandon's survival in 1991 was remarkable.

“Back when Brandon was born, 24-week gestation babies, didn’t survive, and he did and he has a beautiful family."

Brawner, Brandon's primary nurse, agreed. “When people say, ‘Why did you work in the NICU,’ they hear Brandon’s story. He is the reason I stayed 32 years,” she said.

At the time of local news reports, Brandon was preparing to return home with Lyla and Iris, as they were being discharged from the hospital.

"It's the journey of a lifetime, you always hear things growing up, how they saved your life and now I can kind of see with my own kids," Brandon told Dayton 24/7.

The Bottom Line:

In comments to WHIO TV, Morgan tearfully reflected on the impact the nurses have had on the entire Creekbaum family.

“We took care of him 35 years ago, and now he’s walking and talking, and has a family, and we had a part in that,” she said. “Sorry, it’s just overwhelming. That’s something that our team did way back then, and now, here he is today.”