Birthday Magic

With twins everything happens twice from first steps, to first days of school, and especially birthdays! Naturally, for a double birthday celebration, you need double the cake.  Take, for instance, twins Sabrina and Delia, who wanted to celebrate their birthday with a common theme but had different ideas on what the cake should look like. Thankfully, there were two sugar angels located nearby who pitched in to grant both the girls’ unique wishes.

Both cakes had a Harry Potter theme and featured key images and figures from the Harry Potter books and movie. The cakes had personalized banners indicating which twin was the recipient.  Sabrina’s cake, by Sugar Angel Melissa Vogt, featured the golden snitch. Delia’s cake by Sugar Angel Kristin Weldon Peri featured Harry’s wand and glasses, a Gryffindor scarf, and the ever-telling Sorting Hat. Importantly, this celebration was a welcome reprieve from the trials of daily life for Delia and Sabrina.

Sabrina and Delia’s medical trials began when they were born 10 weeks early. Subsequently, the twins battled many of the typical preemie complications during a 10 week stay in the NICU. Following their release from the NICU, both girls  had physical therapy and occupational therapy to help them stay on track developmentally. One of the girls also had a feeding tube. These complications, albeit trying, all fall within the normal realm for many preemies. A weakened immune system is also common after premature birth. For Sabrina and Delia, however, a weakened immune system grew to be their primary obstacle.

Throughout early childhood, the girls battled nearly continuous illnesses that often required hospitalization. This included asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and serious eye and sinus infections.  By age eight, both girls were diagnosed with a primary immune deficiency.

In order to maintain some resemblance of a normal life and allow the girls to participate in fun activities, both girls receive Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG). IVIG supplements their immune systems with antibodies purified from the plasma of donated blood. IVIG is delivered every 3-4 weeks, but additional treatment is required between treatments. Consequently, the girls’ lives are often consumed by their medical treatments and the varying side effects of the treatment.

Needless to say, living with a time-consuming medical condition like CIVD makes a birthday more than a date to add a plus one to an age. With some special treatment, a birthday can be like a vacation from everyday life, a day when kids can forget about many of the issues they face and live in the moment. Assuredly, however, every year of life should be cherished and is worthy of celebration under any conditions. As Dumbledore would say, “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” So, although there’s more to a birthday than a number of years, here’s to celebrating one more year of growing and improvement for Delia and Sabrina.