The Burkharts are definitely Notre Dame fans, says mom Haley. Just not such huge fans that they would have chosen for their twins to be born on St. Patrick’s Day, she joked. Nevertheless, that’s what happened – and it put the babies’ birthdate a full 12 weeks ahead of schedule. Just under 28 weeks into her pregnancy, Haley had suddenly gained 30 pounds in just a few days. She had developed preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that causes high blood pressure and can damage organs.
“We were hoping to be able to control the preeclampsia, but unfortunately I was too far along,” she explained. She went to the hospital on a Wednesday for the swelling, and her organs were already being affected. The next day, an ultrasound revealed another problem: an intrauterine growth restriction was affecting little Addie.
With both Haley and Addie at risk, it was decided that Haley would deliver by c-section that evening. The procedure went well, and the premature infants were whisked into Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “They did cry right away,” Haley recalled with a smile. “They could breathe on their own and didn’t need to be intubated.”
The twins were tiny – Briggs was just 2 lb. 1 oz. and Addie 1 lb. 15 oz. Briggs would stay in the NICU for 100 days and Addie for 106 days, a little longer due to an infection. “My husband Ryan and I were there every day,” says Haley. “The nurses were amazing. They were so good to us.” The proud parents made sure their babies had plenty of skin-to-skin contact every day (a practice that helps all babies thrive).
Today these second graders are happy and healthy. Addie, the elder twin by two minutes, is gregarious and outgoing, while Briggs is friendly and thoughtful. They both adore their baby sister Gracie, who’s just turning one. And they’re fast friends with their five-year-old sibling, Boden. “Being close in age, they’re like the three amigos,” said Haley.
Briggs and Addie were thrilled to visit Notre Dame and interview the players – especially since their dad, Ryan, was a Notre Dame kicker from 2006 to 2010.
“The kids are at the age where they want to know more about what Ryan did, so it’s cool to be able to show them around campus,” said Haley. “They thought it was so exciting to interview the players, and they felt so professional.”
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