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MAM Super MoM Donna Viens!

MAM Super MoM Donna Viens!

Last updated on September 30th, 2021 at 10:12 am

Every month along with our partners at MAM we honor an amazing mother of multiples. This month we introduce you to Donna Viens! After raising her own children, Donna stepped up to help raise and adopt her daughter’s twins when she wasn’t able to do it herself. 

Donna was nominated by her son Jarett.  Here is what Jarett had to say about his mom:

My sister got pregnant with twins. My sister has some serious mental health issues and could never take care of them, nor did she want an abortion. My mom never considered anything but raising the babies herself. Mom went to every appointment and was there when they were born and has cared for them since. My mom and dad adopted the boys in November and they have a forever home. I turned 18, and they are starting over as parents again. Mom is awesome in so many ways. Wish I had more words.

We also spoke with Donna and here is her story in her words:

My initiation into mental illness came when I met my husband and his beautiful little girl.  Her biological mother was a diagnosed bi-polar with multiple personality disorder who self-medicated to get through the ups and downs and abandoned her daughter at a young age.  I adopted her when she was just six years old and hoped that the mental illness her mother suffered would never grace my beautiful daughter. Unfortunately she was diagnosed at 12 with depression and later multiple personality disorder and bi-polar.

At nineteen, while in college, we found out she was pregnant with no father in the picture. From the moment I told her not to get an abortion to the day they were born, I managed every detail of the pregnancy. I prayed daily she would be ok to take care of the boys, but deep down I knew that it would be a struggle and would likely send her over the edge.  From the doctors’ appointments and the babies’ growth to what she ate and her mental and emotional status, I navigated the course of the ship to keep her and the babies safe. From ten weeks, we knew this was not a normal pregnancy when the doctor called to say she needed to come in for an ultrasound. After determining that there were two babies growing inside we also found out they were identical twins. The doctors feared twin-to-twin syndrome, so began the bi-weekly regular checkups and the bi-weekly specialist checkups. At 30 weeks, she went into labor and we rushed her to the hospital. The doctors told us of the problems that the boys would face if they were born this early and we prayed and prayed for them to stay put a few more weeks.

Our prayers were answered and although we had many more early labors and rushing to the hospital, they remained in until Ayden decided he was done waiting at 34 weeks and they were born via natural delivery with six minutes between them. Fortunately they were born at this point because Ayden was no longer getting nutrition and may not have made it if he had not pushed himself into the birth canal. Hunter spent four hours in the NICU for breathing problems, but was soon released to us.

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With my “youngest” being 16, our house changed drastically with the new babies and continues to change as our well-adjusted and beautiful toddlers explore their home. I have changed jobs from a big university to a smaller college for the flexibility that it offers me to be home with the boys as I intend to be just as involved with their sports, school, and other activities as I was with my first four kids.

I hoped we would work together to raise the babies but deep down I knew her illness was pulling her away. After a few months of trying to be okay, she cracked and needed to get away. I tried a few times to bring her back only to cause her anxiety and stress. Finally, she told us to adopt the boys to keep them safe. A year later and the adoption has been finalized. While my daughter comes over occasionally when she feels well enough to see the boys, we do not demand for her to see them but accept her in when she wants to see them.

Donna's son, Jarett, who nominated her. along with the twins, Hunter and Ayden
Donna’s son, Jarett, who nominated her, along with the twins, Hunter and Ayden

Donna is the mom of Victoria (22), Gabriel (21), Dakota (20), Jarett (18), and now Ayden and Hunter (2 years 5 months). She is an accountant by trade but left the industry when her kids were little to teach at the college level, which afforded her the flexibility she needed to be home with the kids. Donna credits her amazing husband for helping her and says she could not do it without him.

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Thank you, Jarett, for nominating your Super MoM. Thank you Donna for sharing your story with us. Twiniversity and MAM are thrilled to send Donna a SpaFinder gift card for some well deserved pampering!

Check out MAM for all of you baby/child oral mam babyhealth needs.

Do you know a Super MoM? Nominate her here!!!

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