Born prematurely just days apart, Rachel and Hayden Sackey celebrated their recent wedding by revisiting Corewell Health’s Children’s NICU, where their lifelong friendship began through their mothers’ shared journey.

“We have literally known each other our whole lives. Well, minus 10 days,” Hayden Sackey said.

Rachel and Hayden Sackey were married last month but have now returned to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Corewell Health Children’s Hospital in Dear bornwhere they (as newborns) and their mothers met. They were both born there prematurely in 1996.

The mothers of the 28-year-old couple, Audra Sackey and Sherry Krambeck then formed a unique bond within the NICU and remained close friends.

“If you saw me as a mother 28 years ago, there was doubt, there was helplessness, there was despair. Now it’s joy,” Krambeck said. “And (Audra) was my welcoming committee. Basically, she showed me the ropes.

The mothers shared play dates and their children attended each other’s birthday parties and Halloween reunions 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 issue.

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 then,” Rachel said. “When he dropped everything to come to the hospital to be with me that day, I thought, ‘This could be more than just a prom date.'”

Fast forward to October 29, 2024, and they share a post-wedding kiss during a special Halloween celebration inside the NICU, where they and their mothers spend a lot of time together. Their love for each other – and for the newborns around them – lights up the hospital floor.

“I feel so happy for them; it’s been a long journey,” Audra said. “But phew. That’s where we started, and he married a wonderful, 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 in 1996 and still cares for patients at Corewell Health.

“When you’re having your worst days, when you have no hope, when you feel hopeless. When you feel sad, just know that there is hope and you have people to talk to,” Sherry said.