By Andrea Nagel
It doesn’t
seem so long
ago that the adorable
McVey twins, Charlie and
Gracie, could be seen on
billboards across northern
Idaho. Now, a year later, at
age 2½, the rambunctious
toddlers are running, playing
and enjoying life with their
parents K.C. and Sarah.
“Life has been busy, but
good,” Sarah said. “It’s great
to be moving forward. The
baby phase seems like a
completely different time.”
In 2011, the McVeys were
one of the first families to
benefit from Kootenai’s
special care nursery.
“We knew that with twins
there is a risk they may come early,” K.C. said. “We
were very concerned at first that we might not be able
to have the babies at Kootenai. Staying close to home
was huge in our minds. We were nervous, so we really
wanted to be in a caring hospital with a tight-knit
group of nurses and doctors we knew.”
Charlie and Gracie were born six weeks early, and
both needed neonatal care right away. Gracie needed
oxygen, and both babies were too small to eat on their
own, so they needed feeding tubes.
“We had no idea what to expect—it’s such a foreign
experience,” Sarah said. “I’ve never had children be-
fore, so to have them both need special care was scary.
We just adjusted to the routine. The nurses and doctors
were amazing; we really felt like they loved and cared
for our babies.”
Even though the twins are smaller than some of their
playmates, Charlie and Gracie have been perfectly
healthy since their stay in the
hospital. Now that they’re
getting a little older, they en-
joy spending time outdoors,
going for bike rides with their
parents, taking small hikes
and playing at the beach.
“We even took them on va-
cation this year and went on
a plane,” Sarah said. “With
two 2-year-olds it wasn’t a
restful vacation, but we’re
enjoying life with them and
spending time together as a
family.”
Through their time as
spokespeople for the Festival
of Trees, the McVeys were
overwhelmed by the commu-
nity support.
“The support from the
community and the number
of people who have a stake in Kootenai Health and
want it to be the best is amazing,” K.C. said.
“All the people in town and at the event who rec-
ognized and supported us were great,” Sarah said.
“Going through all this gave me a bigger appreciation
for people with kids who need special care on a daily
basis—you just never think about it until it happens to
you.”
Besides juggling twins and working, K.C. and Sarah
are looking forward to their family’s future.
“We’re looking forward to watching the kids grow and
live a happy, healthy life,” K.C. said. “We want to see
them prosper but at the same time enjoy spending time
with them while they’re young.”
FOR OUR LITTLEST PATIENTS
Learn more about Kootenai’s neonatology
program at
kootenaihealth.org/neonatology
.
The McVey family: K.C., Sarah, Gracie and Charlie
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NEONATAL CARE
