Liam & Lucus Nissen

On May 31st changed our life forever. Jill was not feeling the best with lower abdomen cramps and bad back pain that day and was told she needed to go get checked out. She was sent from one clinic over to Methodist/Blank hospital for a better look over. To us it seemed like no big deal and that we would go home in a few days. Well our boys had other ideas. They took Jill into the Operating room and preformed an emergency C-section and at 8:01pm our twin boys joined the world at 25 weeks 1 day gestation. Liam Wayne Nissen weighed 1lb 14oz at birth and his brother Lucas Dean Nissen weighed 1lb 11oz. It was the craziest and scariest thing we had ever been through. Our boys were taken straight from the OR and moved to the NICU at Blank Children’s Hospital. 





Over the past few weeks we have been through and have learned a lot. With Lucas Dean we’ve had a few hurdles to get over but he just keeps fighting along and growing everyday. And we are so proud of our sweet little boy! 



With brother Liam Wayne we’ve had a lot of hurdles to get over. And one of the biggest ones was on June 20th. We had a surgery done on Liam to have the PDA closed in his heart. In full term baby’s this closes on its own but in preemies you have to help them get it closed. So we did the surgery. Doctor was pleased with surgery and thought everything would be good. That was until Friday June 22nd. We ran home to do somethings around the house that needed done when we got the call to get back to the hospital the doctors wanted to talk to us. When we got back the surgeon and two other doctors were there and told us that our sweet little boy Liam was going to be transferred to the University of Iowa in Iowa City to go through the surgery again because there was complications and it needed redone.




Liam was transferred to Iowa City by ambulance on Saturday June 23rd and surgery was the same day. The surgery was a huge success. 

Little Liam on June 24th day after surgery.

Right now we are separated with dad and Liam in Iowa City and mom and Lucas in Des Moines but hoping just a few days of recovery and Liam and daddy will take the journey back to Des Moines to be with mom and brother.

We do know now with Liams PDA closed and recovering from his surgeries we still have to deal with his brother Lucas’s PDA. Doctors have tried medicine to help close it but with that it cause some side effects. So they had to stop medication to let him heal from the side effects. Hopefully doctors can get a plan soon and if it comes to surgery he doesn’t have the same experience his brother had.



This has been the worst and also best roller coaster ride we have ever been on. We have had a lot of ups and downs and a lot of tears have been shed but looking at our boys makes everyday worth it. Doctors are telling us that the boys will probably come home around their actual due date of September 12th give or take, so we have along road still ahead of us. Sorry we can’t accept visitors and even when we get home we still have to be very careful because of being a preemie they can get sick very easy and that would be very bad for the boys. 




Jill and I would like to say thank you to all that have called, texted, Facebook messaged, and that have just prayed for our family so far and to anyone who sends support. You really don’t know how much we truly appreciate it. We could never tell you thank you enough.




This page has been created on behalf of Jill and Shawn to share with everyone the birth stories of little but fierce Liam and Lucus and help provide some financial relief to assist with the expenses.

First and foremost we ask that you add and keep Liam, Lucas, Jill, and Shawn in you prayers.
Next if you are willing and able please consider donating to help with the many expenses. Any help is very helpful and appreciated!

Thank you