Active Duty Army Officers Welcome Twins Into NICU

Story by David Nye Photos courtesy of Joshua and McKenna Wells

Army officers Josh and McKenna Wells are planners. They plan missions, they plan their careers, and when they found out they were pregnant, they planned and packed for the birth with lots of time to spare.

That was prudent, because Elliot and Emilia were delivered April 21, over two months early. McKenna had enough warning to fly the 500 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with Josh following in the car before the babies came.

The twins sit together in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Mom and dad stayed in the hospital together for a few days until the babies were safely delivered, but they knew it would be a while before they could all head home. So, they moved into the nearby Fisher House just steps away from their twins, where they were able to visit often until it was time to go home.

With a long stay in a stressful time, the family was grateful for the home-like atmosphere of the Fisher House. “There’s the kitchen, and the washing machine, it’s the feeling of being in a home. Because, in a hotel, you know, it feels like a hotel,” said McKenna.

Army officers Josh and McKenna Wells hold their twins, Elliot and Emilia, after their birth over two months early.

“And I would go on to add that, when you’re at a hotel, you’re just a customer there,” Josh said. “Here, you’re family.”

No matter the circumstances, families still take care of each other in Fisher Houses. The babies were staying in the neonatal intensive care unit, so the other house guests and staff were careful to protect the parents while showing their excitement for the twins. Everyone wore masks and practiced social distancing, and the parents returned to their room one day to find the door decorated, and another couple staying in the house, Alice and Don, had purchased clothes for the twins. The couple celebrated Mother’s Day and McKenna’s birthday at the Fisher House, safely, with other guests.

McKenna Wells kisses her infant twins.

“We definitely would not have had that at a hotel,” McKenna said, “Not at all.”

Elliott and Emilia headed home with mom and dad on June 12, almost two months after they were born but still weeks before their original due date. The twins continue to grow, healthy and strong.