When Jasmin and Angel found out they were expecting twins, they were surprised and a little nervous. Their son, Remy, was about a year old. The idea of becoming a family of five overnight was unexpected. But they were about to learn that the strength and resilience of their twins would be tested from the moment they were born.
A life-changing diagnosis
The couple first learned they were expecting twins during an ultrasound at Allina Health West St. Paul in January 2020. To get a closer look, the doctor referred Jasmin to the Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC), a collaboration between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota. There, Saul Snowise, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, confirmed Jasmin’s twins were fraternal. He also noticed a concern with the hearts of the unborn babies and referred the family to a pediatric cardiologist for a fetal echocardiogram, which is a special screening of the heart.
During the next visit, Bradford Chu, MD, a fetal cardiology specialist at The Children’s Heart Clinic, made the diagnosis. Both twins had the same severe congenital heart defect – pulmonary atresia. It’s a heart condition where the valve that should let blood flow from the heart to the lungs doesn’t form the way it should. For Dr. Chu, making the diagnosis was challenging because both babies were very small and the imaging wasn’t perfect.
“To tell the family both babies had a severe heart defect – and the road ahead could look very different for each of them – is one of the hardest calls for me to make as a fetal cardiologist,” said Dr. Chu.
The diagnosis was overwhelming for Jasmin and Angel. But they appreciated how Dr. Chu and the team took time to answer every question they had and explain the potential scenarios. “It was emotional, but at the same time they prepared us for when everything did happen,” said Jasmin.
Delivery
Sol and Luna arrived via scheduled cesarean section (C-section) in May 2020, at The Mother Baby Center, another partnership between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota. Despite their complex prenatal diagnoses, both babies were more stable than anticipated at birth. Angel and Jasmin had a brief but meaningful moment with them before they were transferred to the Cardiovascular Care Center (CVCC) at Children’s Minnesota for specialized heart care.
Though the girls entered the world together, their heart journeys diverged.
Sol’s path to fix her heart
Sol’s condition followed a typical journey for children born with pulmonary atresia. Once she was a few weeks old and strong enough, she went through the first of three open-heart surgeries to reroute the blood flow from her heart to her lungs.
After about three months in the hospital, Sol came home. It was a bittersweet milestone for the family, knowing Luna still faced a more complicated road.
Luna’s complex path to fix her heart
Luna’s diagnosis was more complicated. In addition to pulmonary atresia, she had right ventricular–dependent coronary circulation (RVDCC), a condition that affects blood flow to the heart muscle itself and increases the risk of life‑threatening abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias.
Because Luna was too high‑risk for open-heart surgery as a newborn, the care team performed a less invasive cardiac catheterization. During the procedure, pediatric cardiologist Rodrigo Rios, MD, placed a stent to keep blood flowing to her lungs. This approach bought time for Luna to grow.
Over the following months, Luna faced one challenge after another – blood clots, feeding difficulties, infections and setbacks after procedures. She remained inpatient for nearly nine months, far longer than Sol. During this time, Luna was listed for a heart transplant.
But Luna showed remarkable resilience. As she grew, she developed steadily and didn’t have any arrhythmias. Eventually, she was doing so well that the cardiovascular team determined she was no longer high risk. This meant she could have the surgeries to correct her pulmonary atresia – just like her twin sister. After recovering from the surgeries, Luna was removed from the transplant list!
Care with compassion
Throughout the girls’ hospital stays, the care team became like family. Angel and Jasmin remember the nurses, doctors, surgeons, respiratory therapists, social workers, chaplains, and surgeons who supported them through every twist in the journey.
When both parents had COVID-19 at Christmas and couldn’t be at the bedside, nurses spent the holiday with Luna – sending photos, dressing her up, and making sure she felt cared for.
The girls were even baptized during their first hospital stay. Staff found tiny doll dresses that opened in the back so the twins could wear special outfits for the occasion.
“That was all Children’s Minnesota,” Jasmin said. “Moments like that made us feel surrounded by support.”
A new chapter
When Luna finally came home, the family experienced something they had waited months for: all three children – Remy, Sol and Luna – under one roof. They also saw their twins transform after their final surgeries. Once limited by low energy, they had new strength. Today, they love swimming, going to Valleyfair and playing outside. They love going to their check up appointments at The Children’s Heart Clinic and seeing familiar faces.
“We just want them to be happy,” Angel said. “They’ve been through so much already.”
Jasmin shares a hope for the future: that one day the girls will share their story to help other kids facing congenital heart defects, just as other families’ stories once supported them.
