A Long Road, A Loving Family, and a Conversation Worth Having
Bretton built a joyful, bustling home with their four young children—two boys and two girls—each brimming with personality, charm, and resilience. But behind the smiles and laughter lies a journey marked by loss, strength, and deep hope.
“Our family started with our son Remi,” Bretton shares. “We had planned to have our babies close together, but after three pregnancy losses, we decided to try one last time. If it didn’t work, we knew we’d be grateful for the one beautiful son we had.”
Then came a twist of fate. Bretton’s final attempt at pregnancy resulted not only in success—but in a rare and high-risk journey carrying triplets. She gave birth via c-section at 33 weeks to Palmer, a boy, and twin girls, Charlie and Oakland.
The early days were filled with love, but also medical urgency. The triplets faced challenges—intestinal surgeries, underdeveloped lungs, and many weeks in neonatal intensive care units. At one point, each baby was in a different place: one at home, two at separate NICUs, and a toddler needing care as well.
As the children grew, so did their vulnerability to respiratory illness. When RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) season arrived, it hit hard. From 13 to 16 months of age, the girls needed six visits to the emergency department for respiratory infections. At one point, the family even pulled their eldest son from daycare in a desperate bid to shield the triplets from illness.
“Oakland was admitted to the hospital for RSV for multiple days, and it was one of the scariest moments of our lives.”
“The hospital visits just kept coming,” Bretton says. “For us, a ‘good’ ER trip means no ICU admission.”
Bretton decided to share her story not to alarm, but to inform—especially parents and expectant mothers—about the risks and realities faced by medically vulnerable children.
“There’s an RSV vaccine now that some pregnant people may be eligible for—it helps pass antibodies to the baby,” she says. “That option wasn’t available when I was pregnant. I wish it had been.”
She continues, “My babies didn’t qualify for vaccination at the time. But maybe yours do. We’ve done all we can to keep protecting them. But it really does take a village."
Speak to your physician or pharmacist about the vaccinations available.
Bretton knows not every family will face what hers did. But she hopes that by encouraging others to have conversations with their healthcare providers, more babies—especially those with health conditions—can be protected.
Want to learn more about protecting kids from RSV?
Visit our RSV page for tips, resources, and guidance on keeping your whole family healthier this season.