Kristin and Eric Moan were expecting identical twin girls. However, when the mother went into labor at less than six months pregnant, things took a serious turn for the worst. The twins girls, Dylan and Hayden, were born weighing less than 2 pounds each at 23 weeks and six days of gestation. Known as micro-preemies, the twins born four months early, would leave both parents and doctors uncertain of their survival. The parents were heartbroken.
"One of the nurses said that what some people do is they take a picture of a stuffed animal next to them every week to monitor their growth and something to look back at," Eric told KARE. "I didn't want to put a stuffed animal in there because they're fuzzy and dirty. So I went out and got a Mr. Potato Head."
This was the beginning for Kristin and Eric, and the small weekly task began to give them hope…
When Eric and Kristin Moan's twins were born four months premature, all the couple could do was wait. One of the NICU nurses told Eric that many parents place a stuffed animal next to their baby and snap a photo each week. This allows the mother or father to track the progress of their infant as their health progresses.
Eric didn't like the idea of a fluffy stuffed animal because he thought it would get dirty. That's when he thought of the plastic Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys. For the next 119 days, the couple would visit their daughters in the NICU. The Potato Head photos gave them hope, week after week, as they saw their little ones grow healthier.
When they were finally able to take the girls home, doctors revealed something ominous to Kristin.
"The day we took Dylan home, she was the smaller, the sicker [one], they told us they never thought they would see us leave with her," Kristin told KARE. But they in fact did.
Now, three years later, Dylan and Hayden are doing tremendously well.
Dylan and Hayden are now even helping Mommy and Daddy pay it forward. You see, while Eric was snapping the Potato Head photos, other parents of preemies got wind of them. Kristin and Eric, to help the parents through the difficult situation they were all too familiar with, sent each family a Potato Head of their own, including a journal and a baby onesie.
Eventually those small gifts would become a full-blown organization known as the Potato Head Project. Parents of preemies can request their own package or make a donation. Since starting the nonprofit, Eric and Kristin have given out about 200 toys to families who need the small gesture of hope.
To learn more about this incredible project, watch the video below!
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To make a request or donate to the Potato Head Project, please visit their Website / Facebook / CaringBridge
