Hannah and Kate Lantz
Eighteen years ago, Lauren left the hospital without her twin daughters, Hannah and Kate. Born at 28 weeks on Sept. 1, 2008, the girls spent their earliest days growing stronger in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.
This spring, Hannah and Kate are preparing to graduate from Bloomingdale High School, a milestone that reflects how far they have come and the care that helped them get there.
Complications from Lauren’s multiple pregnancy required doctors to perform an emergency C-section several weeks premature. Hannah weighed 1 pound, 8 ounces. Kate weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces.
“I have their birth weights seared in my mind,” Lauren said.
Lauren also remembers a moment that shaped how she would later support other NICU families.
“I was in a wheelchair in the elevator with another mom, and she was holding her baby. I was going home without my girls,” Lauren said. “It was such a hard, heartbreaking moment for me. I cried when I got to the car.”
Years later, that memory inspired Lauren to provide teddy bears to mothers leaving the hospital without their babies, giving them something to hold during an emotional moment.
Their time in the NICU
Kate spent five weeks in the NICU, but Hannah faced more complex challenges. She was transferred to another hospital for about a week because of concerns about possible intestinal surgery, then returned to Brandon Hospital, where she spent a total of 10 weeks before going home.
For Lauren, bringing the twins home was both joyful and overwhelming. As first-time parents, she and her husband suddenly cared for two premature newborns while also managing frequent follow-up appointments.
“It was definitely a learning journey,” Lauren said. “They were the first two babies we had ever had.”
Because the twins came home during flu season, Lauren and her family took extra precautions.
Over time, those early challenges gave way to a more typical childhood. Lauren said the twins did not experience major long-term complications and continued to grow and thrive.
Helping other NICU families
Lauren began giving back by bringing cookies, onesies and gift cards to NICU nurses and families. She later started a Facebook page and parent support group to help families.
“I had never heard of a NICU, before I had my girls,” Lauren said. “I wanted families to know they were not alone, because it can feel very isolating when visitation is limited in the NICU.”
Lauren, a teacher at Brooker Elementary School, still hears from families who remember her volunteer work.
“I still have parents come up to me, ‘Hey, weren’t you the one who volunteered at the Brandon Hospital NICU? I never realized the impact that made,“ Lauren said. “It’s neat to see these babies now thriving and to see parents that just needed someone to help them walk through it. I am a part of their story.”
NICU graduation to high school graduation
Now, Hannah and Kate are preparing to graduate from Bloomingdale High School.
Both girls are active in music at Bloomingdale High School. Hannah plays the flute, sings in chorus and serves as band captain. Kate plays the cello and participates in orchestra and chorus. Lauren said music runs in their family. Their dad also plays the cello.
“Looking at them now, it is hard not to see how far they have come,” Lauren said.
From tiny NICU patients to high school seniors preparing for graduation, Hannah and Kate’s story reflects resilience, steady progress and the impact of compassionate care in life’s earliest moments.
“Our family has had relationships with NICU nurses at Brandon Hospital that span eighteen years of my daughters’ lives,” Lauren said.“They have become family over the years.”
“The Lantz twins ‘my girls,’ as I like to call them were among the first miracles, I had the privilege to care for when I began at Brandon Hospital. They faced many challenges, but their family’s unwavering faith and support carried them through,” said Olga Espada, NICU nurse and clinical nurse coordinator at Brandon Hospital for nineteen years. “Each night before the parents went home, we would pray together. Their mom later founded our NICU parent support group, and I’ve been honored to support other families alongside her. Watching the twins grow and thrive has been incredibly inspiring.”
The girls have attended NICU reunions over the years, and they hear their story of their journey in the NICU.
“It is neat to see the nurses that cared for us in the NICU and that these are the people who saved our lives. They remember us and ask how we are,” Hannah said.
Hannah plans to pursue biology and pre-veterinary sciences at University of Central Florida, while Kate plans to pursue a nursing degree at University of South Florida.
Kate has dreams of working in a NICU, caring for babies born prematurely. “I want to be there for families and help take care of their baby, just as I was cared for,” Kate said.
The Brandon Hospital care team wishes congratulations to Kate and Hannah. The NICU nurses who cared for them early in life could not be prouder of their accomplishments and graduation.
Life began earlier than expected, but with care, they thrived in the NICU and now. With Hannah hoping to become a veterinarian and Kate hoping to return to the NICU as a nurse, the story continues.