The Werner Family

September 27th, 2016…

Is when our lives changed forever. On this day we were told that one of our previously healthy identical twin boys had a heart problem and was very sick. After several days of testing here in Madison, WI, we were told that our boys may have Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome and that we needed to quickly travel to Cincinnati, OH for testing and possible surgery. Unfortunately I went into preterm labor on October 5th, and Theodore Nicholas and Holden Benjamin were born on October 6th, 2016. Theodore lived for a short time, and Holden was stillborn. We miss them terribly and have become our reason for everything we do.

At the time of the twins’ birth and death, our oldest son, William, was 2.5 years old. I was also unable to work for quite some time, and was not eligible for FMLA or maternity leave. Between the travel, the medical bills, and the loss of my work, we would have been facing extreme hardship if not for the generosity of friends and family. We know, however, that our situation was unique. Not everyone has a net to fall back on, and absolutely no one should have to worry about money during such a difficult time. The Marigold Foundation was founded in 2019 and is our way of not only honoring our sons, but also honoring the generosity of our friends and family.