Jillian Conine never imagined her first pregnancy would unfold this way.
Just weeks after learning she and her husband, Casey, were expecting twins, they were told the pregnancy was high-risk. Their daughters were monochorionic diamniotic twins, meaning they shared a placenta and required close monitoring from the very beginning.
Still, like many parents, they held onto the excitement of becoming a family of four. But at just 31 weeks and five days, everything changed.
“I had just transferred my care to Toledo,” Jillian said. “Two days later, my water broke.”
What followed was an unexpected hospital stay filled with uncertainty, waiting, and hope.
Doctors were able to delay delivery for nearly two weeks, giving the twins more time to grow. But when Laelynn and Lainey were born at 33 weeks and six days, they needed care in the NICU.
For Jillian and Casey, the reality of that moment was overwhelming.
“It was difficult to realize that I didn’t get to take our babies home with us,” Jillian said. “It wasn’t the experience you picture when you think about having your first baby.”
Instead of quiet moments together, they found themselves surrounded by monitors, medical equipment, and constant movement.
Even the simplest moments felt different.
“I would have to almost ask for permission to even touch our babies,” she said.
And for parents of twins, there was another unexpected reality.
“You think they’ll always be together,” Jillian said. “But in the NICU, they’re in separate incubators.”
Through it all, Jillian leaned on her faith.
“When my water broke, something just came over me,” she said. “I felt calm, like whatever was going to happen, we would get through it.”
That calm carried them through long days in the NICU, where progress came slowly, one milestone at a time.
While their daughters fought to grow stronger, Jillian and Casey faced another challenge—distance.
Their home in Curtice was about 25 miles from the hospital, making daily travel difficult during an already exhausting time. That’s when they learned about the Ronald McDonald House.
After Jillian was discharged, they moved into the House, where they would stay for 22 nights. What they found there changed everything.
“It lifted so much weight off our chest,” Jillian said. “I can’t even put into words how much it helped us.”
Instead of worrying about driving back and forth or being far away, they could stay just minutes from the hospital.
That closeness meant more time together, more moments at their daughters’ bedside, and more opportunities to be present during a time that felt anything but normal.
During their stay, the Ronald McDonald House became more than just a place to sleep.
It became a place where Jillian and Casey could take a breath, reset, and find small moments of relief between long NICU days.
From warm meals to a quiet place to rest, the House gave them the ability to keep going. Because when your children are in the hospital, every bit of energy matters.
Today, Laelynn and Lainey are seven months old and thriving, growing stronger with each passing day.
Looking back, Jillian knows just how different their experience could have been.
Without the Ronald McDonald House, the stress of traveling back and forth would have made an already difficult time even harder. Instead, they were able to stay close to their daughters when it mattered most. And for Jillian, that made all the difference.
“Whoever founded this was the most generous, selfless person to think of how many families this could help.”
For families like the Conine family, that support changes everything.
Make a gift today to ensure families like the Conine family can stay close while their child receives care in Toledo.
Get ready for a night of food, music, exclusive bourbon, and fun — all to support families at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio! Join us June 26 at Centennial Terrace!
