Mason and Sawyer now see the world in a whole new way.

Their parents, Heather and James Wright, thought this pregnancy was no different than their first, but at 22 weeks of gestation, Heather was hospitalized for complications.

They turned to the team at WVU Medicine Children’s and were told nothing could be done for the boys if they did not reach 23 weeks of gestation.

“It was scary,” Heather said. “I decided then that I would keep them in until then.”

Mason and Sawyer entered the world at exactly 23 weeks gestation in February 2020.

“She (Heather) was whisked away,” James said. “I consider myself a religious person, so I hit my knees and prayed.”

Mason and Sawyer had finally arrived, but this was the start of a long journey.

Both boys were very tiny when they entered the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at WVU Medicine Children’s. Mason was just 1.1 pounds, and Sawyer was 1.3 pounds. Their bodies were no bigger than a cell phone, but soon they would start to grow.

Making history

After one week in the NICU, Mason and Sawyer opened their eyes. Then, they met ophthalmologist Ryan McGuire, MD.

“Early intervention is the key to success,” Dr. McGuire said. “When babies are born so early, the eye is not given the right environment to develop. This can cause some serious issues in the eyes, which could leave a child blind.”

The boys began receiving regular eye exams every week to chart their development.

During one of these exams, the team discovered bleeds in both boys’ eyes.

McGuire consulted with Heather and James and asked them to consider enrolling the boys in a medication trial for Eylea, an injection to prevent retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

ROP is an eye disease that can happen in premature babies put on oxygen. The eye is not allowed to develop properly, which could cause abnormalities. This can lead to eye bleeding and partial, if not total, blindness.

WVU Medicine Children’s entered the twins into a study, which later led to the drug getting FDA approval and becoming available to premature babies nationwide.

“Dr. McGuire did the best job explaining hurdles, problems, and outcomes,” James said. “He and his team went to tackling the problem head-on and giving it their best.”

The boys started receiving regular injections, but Sawyer needed more advanced care. He would receive laser surgery to fully seal off the bleed.

“Sawyer received his normal eye exam and within the next day he received the ROP laser treatment,” Heather said.

WVU Medicine Children’s is the only hospital in West Virginia that offers this laser treatment to help prevent vision loss in premature infants.

After his procedure, Sawyer continued to do well. Mason was also growing right along with him.

Finally, the boys were able to meet their big sister after 106 days in the NICU.

Our WVU Medicine Children’s family

During one of the scariest times of their lives, the Wright family found an extended family at WVU Medicine Children’s.

“I am very thankful to Dr. McGuire and all the nurses,” Heather said. “We formed relationships with all of them.”

“When everything kept piling up and it felt like the odds were against us, two of the boys’ nurses became like family, Aunt Carol and Aunt Alison,” James added.

The boys continue to visit McGuire and the team at WVU Medicine Children’s for their yearly eye exam. With the help of glasses, they play and live the lives of normal five-year-olds.

“We are always happy for our children to graduate out of the program and start seeing optometrists closer to home, but we never turn them away,” McGuire, said. “Their comfort and health are the most important thing.”

Mason and Sawyer will now grow up seeing the beauty of the world in front of them thanks to the care of WVU Medicine Children’s.