A father proposed to his girlfriend in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with the help of their premature daughter, who has spent the last 10 months in the hospital.
Teon Kennedy and Martine Drouillard, both 31, got engaged with their baby girl, Morgan, by their side at the New York-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns.
Hospital staffers helped the dad pull off the surprise proposal right before Valentine’s Day and shared a video of the heartwarming moment on Instagram.
Special moment: Teon Kennedy and Martine Drouillard, both 31, got engaged at New York-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns in Manhattan
Little fighter: Their daughter, Morgan, has spent the past 10 months in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at three different NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals in the area
Kennedy had originally planned on proposing to Drouillard in the spring of 2020 at her baby shower, but she never ended up having one.
The Brooklyn school teacher was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia 25 weeks into her pregnancy and had to deliver Morgan immediately via emergency C-section.
Morgan was born on April 12, 2020, at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, weighing just 1 pound, 2 ounces, Kennedy and Drouillard told Good Morning America.
‘She was really, really small,’ the dad recalled. ‘She was roughly the [size of the] palm of my hand.’
Life: Kennedy planned on proposing to Drouillard at her baby shower, but she was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia 25 weeks into her pregnancy and needed an emergency C-section
Heartwarming: The NICU staffers have become like family to the couple, which inspired Kennedy to ask for their help in planning the proposal
So pretty: The healthcare workers decorated Morgan’s room with photos of her parents, which were arranged in a heart shape and topped with lights
Important guest: Morgan was dressed up and placed in the middle of her room ahead of her mother’s arrival
The couple’s daughter was transferred to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she underwent multiple surgeries, including procedures on her brain and lungs.
She was later moved to the New York-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns when it opened in August and has been staying there ever since, earning herself the nickname ‘Queen of the NICU.’
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, only one parent can visit Morgan at a time unless she is undergoing surgery or other special circumstances.
Drouillard has become their daughter’s primary visitor because she is able to isolate herself more while working from home as a teacher.
Too cute: Morgan was wearing a shirt that read: ‘Mommy, will you marry Daddy?’
Amazing: As Drouillard walked down the hallway, the staffers read her poems written by Kennedy, who met her outside of Morgan’s room
Stunned: The mom threw her hands over her face when she saw Kennedy waiting at their daughter’s door
Perfectly planned: ‘Morgan has something she wants to ask you,’ Kennedy said, before getting down on one knee and popping the question
Every weekday the mom teaches remotely until 3 p.m. and then commutes an hour to the hospital. She usually gets home around 11 p.m. and prepares her lesson plan for the next day before going to bed.
‘She’s been there every single day for the last 300-plus days,’ Kennedy told GMA of his bride-to-be. ‘I tip my hat off to her every day.’
The NICU staffers have become like family to the couple, which inspired Kennedy to ask for their help in planning the proposal.
Healthcare workers decorated Morgan’s room with photos of her parents, which were arranged in a heart shape and topped with lights, and a poster that read: ‘Marry Daddy??’
They also laid out a red carpet and sprinkled it with flower petals for Drouillard’s arrival. They made sure she was dressed for the occasion by telling her they were going to have a meeting about Morgan’s case that day.
Thrilled: Drouillard said her daughter being dressed up and awake for the proposal made it extra special
Smile! The newly-engaged couple posed for photos with some of the hospital staffers
Amazing: ‘They treat us so well here, and for them to make this moment just that more special, I’m so happy — so happy,’ Drouillard
As Drouillard walked down the hallway, the staffers read her poems written by Kennedy, who met her outside of Morgan’s room. He brought her to their daughter, who was wearing a shirt that read: ‘Mommy, will you marry Daddy?’
‘Morgan has something she wants to ask you,’ Kennedy said, before getting down on one knee and popping the question.
The NICU staffers clapped for the couple as they hugged, and Kennedy thanked them for all of their help.
‘It happening here with Morgan present, and for her to be dressed for the occasion and to be awake… They treat us so well here, and for them to make this moment just that more special, I’m so happy — so happy,’ Drouillard said in the video.
Kennedy pointed out that most pregnant women are showered with love and attention before giving birth, but Drouillard had missed out on all that.
‘Today was the day she was able to get all she missed in the last 300 days,’ he said.