Faith & Joy's Story

Images by Bittersweet Photography

These Tiny Light twins could not have been more appropriately named. Meet Faith and Joy. These sisters were born premature at 23 weeks and 5 days. Faith weighed 1.6 lb and Joy 1.7 lb. They each underwent heart surgery at 2.5 weeks old, weighing less than 2 lb each. Now two years old, Faith and Joy love being read to and watching In the Night Garden. 


Both girls now have cerebral palsy. Joy is parapelgia and Faith is hemipelgia. This means that Joy has it throughout her body and Faith just in part of her body. Joy's CP diagnosis came about four months and Faith six months after their six-month NICU stay. While no one was surprised, it was devastating. Faith and Joy’s parents were told that their daughters had a 4% chance to live if they made it past the first 24 hours. “We are so grateful and thankful to have them both here with us. We will take them anyway we can get them!”  


The hardest part of the journey is the fact that they don’t know what is coming next. The girls have limited range to be able to do very much. Joy will most likely be in a wheelchair due to her inability to be mobile. Faith will likely need a walker, or she may also require a wheelchair like her sister. The girls’ mom only wishes that her girls will both accept who they are and be happy with themselves. She doesn’t have fears, as the girls have already overcome so many obstacles that she is certain they will be able to overcome anything handed to them.  


“As long as you have Faith, in the end you will have Joy!” 


Story by Angela Stephen-Dewhurst