Deployed Marine in Middle East Gets Call Wife in Labor with Twins 12 Weeks Early
Most expecting parents can’t wait until their child is brought into the world, their emotions ranging from excitement to even being a bit intimidated.
No matter how much they plan, however, there’s never a guarantee that things will go exactly the way the couple wants it to.
But what happens when one of the parents is in the military and halfway across the world when the babies happen to suddenly arrive?
That’s what happened to Daniel Cooley when he was deployed in Iraq, an order which was supposed to keep him there until April of this year. That is until his wife began to go into labor — 12 weeks too early.
Last Tuesday, Dan received a call that his wife had given birth to twin boys, Theodore and Benjamin. The preemies were born only a minute apart and each weighed a little over two pounds.
Almost immediately, Cooley was on his way from Kuwait to Rochester, New York, to meet his sons and wife, Michaela, at the Golisano Children’s Hospital.
The trip itself took him 18 hours until the emotional homecoming had him seeing his wife once again and meeting the twins. Though it was surely a disappointment that the young father couldn’t be there during the delivery, the couple is still thankful for everything they have.
“We’ve received so many blessings so far, even though things didn’t go exactly as planned,” Michaela said in a statement. “We feel lucky that Dan was able to come home, and everyone here has been so supportive.”
The hospital added that the boys will be placed in the NICU for a couple months, but overall are “thriving and doing well.”
The young couple is now enjoying — and adjusting — to a life with their two little miracles.
“It was such a great unexpected thing, that’s what it’s like to be a parent your heart just grows,” Michaela said.
Even amid the harder times, the couple always finds their humor, admitting they are simply rolling with the punches and taking it one day at a time.
“It’s two and two now, so,” Michaela said, laughing.
“It was very quick and unexpected, especially being over there [in Iraq],” said Daniel. “But, it was still like, holy crap I just became a dad in a matter of 45 minutes.”
The marine, who will be off for the next few weeks pending orders, admits to being in complete awe of his sons.
“Even now when I look at them I am like holy cow there are my sons,” he said. “These are our kids.”
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