Meet Champion, Julia & Thomas

Julia and Thomas were born 13 weeks early, weighing just 2lbs., 1oz and 1lb., 8oz respectively. In those first moments, their parents weren’t sure either twin would survive. Julia made steady progress, but Thomas’s journey was filled with setbacks. At two weeks old, both twins were baptized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when their parents feared Thomas wouldn’t make it through the night. For nearly a year, Thomas remained at Sanford Children’s in Sioux Falls, 90 miles from home, cared for by an expert neonatal team, while Julia grew stronger at home. Slowly, Thomas began to stabilize, and the day he finally came home was a milestone filled with gratitude. Today, Julia and Thomas are high school juniors. Julia thrives academically and enjoys volleyball and FFA, and Thomas, who still faces communication and sensory challenges, plays basketball, plays drums in the band, and inspires everyone with his resilience.