Meet Stella a fierce, strong and joyful girl. Her medical story started even before she was born on 11/9/2022. When Stella’s mother’s water broke at 28 weeks, we knew a NICU stay would be part of her journey, yet it wasn’t what anyone expected. After four weeks on the antepartum floor on bedrest, Allie went into labor and Stella came into the world at 32 weeks and was whisked away by the amazing MMC NICU team. Like all NICU babies, Stella’s medical conditions were unique. She has multiple facial anomalies, which led to serious respiratory issues. Her airway was hypotonic and therefore would completely close off at certain times leading to horrific bradycardia events and desaturations. The NICU team at MMC saved her life multiple times and we are extremely thankful for them. She was intubated for months on end and the farthest she could progress was to high levels of CPAP to keep her airway open. She ended up needing a mandibular distraction to open her airway and a G tube placement to help her grow and thrive. After 201 days in the NICU, she was able to come home on Memorial Day weekend 2023.

Stella’s time in the NICU was obviously terrifying but it led to many friendships that the Boyan’s still hold onto over two years later. The nurses and doctors became like family and still visit Stella at home. Stella’s dad works at Monmouth Medical Center and not a day goes by where he isn’t stopped in the hall to ask how their former patient is doing. The team at MMC never gave up on Stella. They fought with her through all the long nights, agonizing tests and relentless hurdles. There was never a time where we felt like we weren’t the center of attention for the nurses and doctors even as they juggled dozens of patients. 

No parent plans to start their baby’s life inside a hospital for over half a year but being with people who cared for our daughter like she was their own comforted us day in and day out.  Today, Stella is so very loved by everyone around her. She lights up every room she enters, and her favorite activities include dancing, swinging, and playing with her big brother, Tripp.

Meet Tyus James aka TJ! Tj’s long journey started at 26 weeks . We knew the NICU would be our second home but we never envisioned it to be our lives for a whole year. Tj spent 6 months at MMC where he was cared & loved on until he went into respiratory distress and needed to be moved to CHOP in Philadelphia. We were met with many diagnosis and a mountain to climb . Going to CHOP proved to be the best thing for him although we were heartbroken to leave our nursing staff at MMC . We spent another 6 months there until finally on day 354 just a few days shy of his first birthday were given the news we could come home. 

Tj from the very beginning has showed us how much of a fighter he truly is . With every odd stacked against him, he has overcame & filled our lives with so much love. We hope that by continuing to share our story , a story still being written, that it will not only open people’s minds and bring awareness to prematurity but it will give every family that has to walk this road a little bit of hope! We share this honor with every single family that walks into the NICU, who too has to stare down a road of uncertainty. We are forever grateful for both medical teams at Monmouth & CHOP for their innovative & groundbreaking approaches to saving our sweet miracle baby's life . We are proof that miracles do come true!