Something was wrong. The due date for their twins was still months away. Twenty-six weeks was far too soon. With emotions and fear running high, Molly and Maddy Needham were born weighing less than two pounds, and it wasn’t until day seven that their parents were able to hold their daughters for the first time.

“That same day, we were told that Molly needed emergency lifesaving surgery,” said Mike Needham, Molly’s and Maddy’s dad. “Her belly had turned black because her small intestine had ruptured and became infected, and while being transferred to Boston Children’s, she coded.”

Medical staff were able to revive Molly, and she was rushed into surgery. At less than two weeks old, she had three surgeries, one of them by a cardiac surgeon. For several more weeks Molly was in and out of consciousness, and every moment felt like a lifetime. And then the medical staff informed the Needhams about Molly’s twin sister Maddy’s medical turn for the worse.

“Maddy experienced a brain injury, and when I asked how serious it was, the doctor said the ranking is one to four, with four being the worst, she experienced a four,” said Needham. “It feels like the walls are crashing down on you. We had Molly fighting for her every breath. We had Maddy fighting for her every breath.”

Maddy and Molly entered the world in a battle for their lives, but thanks to the care and expertise of Boston Children’s Hospital, they emerged victorious—and celebrated their 11th birthday this year.

“My kids are great. They’re perfectly healthy,” said Needham. “There’s a lot of great hospitals in a lot of great cities, but there is nothing that matches Boston Children’s, and I’m so grateful that my employer is such a strong supporter of them too.”

Needham is the Vice President of Gas Operations at Eversource, and every year his family of four along with thousands of others meet near the Charles River for the annual Eversource Walk for Boston Children’s Hospital. The inspirational event raises money that goes toward providing critical care and medical services that insurance doesn’t cover, and funding important research to find cures and treatments for sick kids.

“It’s wonderful to be an Eversource employee and see our strong commitment and connection to my favorite hospital in the whole world, and know that through our time and money, we’re supporting kids and families who may be experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” said Needham. “Being at the walk with family and coworkers and other patients, you get a sense of camaraderie. Families are there sharing their triumphs and tragedies, and we know how fortunate and blessed we are to be on the triumphant side.”

 “We’re so fortunate to be a success story,” said Needham. “I don’t know what my life would be like without Boston Children’s. They gave me a healthy family of four. Heroes saved my daughters.”