Born prematurely just days apart, Rachel and Hayden Sackey celebrated their recent marriage by revisiting Corewell Health Children‘s NICU, where their lifelong friendship began through their mothers’ shared journey.
“We have literally known each other our entire lives. Well, minus 10 days,” said Hayden Sackey.
Rachel and Hayden Sackey got married last month but have now returned to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Corewell Health Children’s Hospital in Dearborn, where they (as newborns) and their mothers met. They were both born prematurely there in 1996.
The 28-year-old couple’s mothers, Audra Sackey and Sherry Krambeck, formed a unique bond inside the NICU back then and remained close friends.
“If you would have seen me as a mother 28 years ago, there was doubt, there was helplessness, there was hopelessness. Now there’s joy,” said Krambeck. “And [Audra] was my welcoming committee. She basically showed me the ropes.”
The mothers shared playdates, and their children attended each other’s birthday parties and Halloween reunion parties at the Dearborn NICU.
However, Rachel and Hayden’s relationship grew even stronger in 2014 when she was unexpectedly admitted to the same hospital for a minor health condition.
She hadn’t seen Hayden in person since her 10th birthday, but Hayden made sure to be by her side. They even ended up going to prom together.
“My family and I had been living in Indiana for seven years by then,” Rachel said. “When he dropped everything to come to the hospital to be with me that day, I thought: ‘This might be more than just a prom date.’”
Fast-forward to Oct. 29, 2024, and they share a post-wedding kiss during a special Halloween celebration inside the NICU, where they and their moms spend so much time together. Their love for one another—and the newborn babies around them—lights up the hospital floor.
“I feel so happy for them; it’s been a long journey,” said Audra. “But whew. This is where we started, and he married a great, beautiful girl.”
“Having a baby in the NICU is stressful; it’s not what new parents want or dream,” said Williams-Halt, who cared for Rachel and Hayden back in 1996 and is still caring for Corewell Health patients.
“When you are on your worst days, when you have no hope when you feel like you’re in despair. When you feel sad, just know that there is hope and that you have people you can talk to,” said Sherry.