Three times a week, Alberta Health Services volunteer Gail Fairbairn drives to Daniel and Chelsea Pedersen's house in Olds to help them care for their twins.
The twins, who were born three months premature last April, need constant care, as well as oxygen.
"Having twins keeps me quite busy. With my little guys being preemies and on oxygen, it is just helpful to have an extra pair of hands,î said Chelsea Pedersen.
"Those first couple of months were pretty tough and Gail came at the right time.î
Fairbairn has been an AHS volunteer for 11 years.
"My joy has always been babies, but this is the first time that we have had babies in our program,î she said.
"I am just thrilled. I like children. The twins are very special to me.î
Fairbairn spends a couple of hours per visit helping Chelsea feed the babies and accompanying her to medical appointments. The visits can also be an opportunity for Pedersen to get out of the house and run errands, while Fairbairn watches over the twins.
"I can depend on her a lot. Why, I depend on her a lot,î said Pedersen.
Twins Seth and Sean are the couple's first kids. After spending their first four months at the hospital, they came home last August. Daniel took a month off from work to help Chelsea care for them.
"We were both taking care of the babies. You had to, what with feeding time every three hours,î said Pedersen.
"My husband and I toughed it out for the first month. Our family helped us when they could.î
After seeing the couple's efforts, a visiting public health nurse referred them to two support programs.
"One was for a volunteer. I applied for it,î said Pedersen.
"I also signed up for the Healthy Families program, in case I need extra help. Another lady comes in and sees me for support, sometime just to talk.î
Fairbairn started volunteering at the Pedersen home in September. Fairbairn and Pedersen have now become great friends.
"She can't get rid of me now. I really enjoy Chelsea's company,î said Fairbairn.
"I really don't believe that I will ever be out of their life now.î
Fairbairn believes that, in order to be a volunteer, you must have a great rapport with people. Otherwise, it does not work.
"Chelsea and I have that rapport. I come to her home and we have lots of chats about lots of different things,î she said.
As for the twins, they are now eight and a half months old and in great health.
"The babies have come a long way. When we go to the doctor's appointments, the babies are in the same range as a full-term baby,î said Pedersen.
"Once we get rid of the oxygen tubes, you will have no idea they were preemies. They are right where they should be, which is fantastic.î
Seth and Sean will remain on oxygen full-time for the next six weeks, then they will need oxygen only at night.
"From when they were born to when they will get off it, it will be close to a year,î said Pedersen.
"They have had oxygen since they were born. Besides that, they are healthy.î
