If Santa would ask Mikey Marotta what kind of gift he wants, it’s not a gaming console, phone, or a mini car. Mikey would most likely ask for a baby brother, according to his parents.
In fact, the little boy was so ready to become an older brother that he planned far down the road on what they’ll wear as siblings come Halloween. Whenever Mikey gets something new or extra of something, he’d always put them aside and “save” them for his brother.
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At one point, the boy even told his mom to eat buffalo wings because he thought it was the reason he got his ginger hair. And this time, he wants his sibling to have the same color as well.
However, getting pregnant was not easy.
Jessica and Michael Marotta, Mikey’s parents, tried their best to make his dreams come true. But fertility struggles prevented their attempts. The most difficult part was when Jessica lost a baby in a miscarriage in 2007.
When the parents felt that their efforts are fruitless, they decided to sit down with Mikey and explained to him that it’s perfectly okay to just be a family of three.
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“When Mikey would ask when he was going to get his baby brother, we would explain he may not get one — that some families only have one child and that is OK. He would tear up and say, ‘That’s OK if I don’t get a human brother; I have Dillinger,’ our dog.” Jessica said to TODAY.
But everything changed in the summer of 2017.
Jessica found out that she was pregnant. But Mikey is much more excited than both her and her partner. According to Jessica, Mikey “teared up and was very happy.” However, the family ran into complications once more.
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Unfortunately, the baby was diagnosed to have intrauterine growth restriction and so had to be delivered via C-section. Then, Mikey spent his days in the NICU.
There, they were able to explain the importance of skin-to-skin contact.
Jessica held Mikey against her skin too when he was younger, so she knows how powerful this could be. So when Mikey was cleared to hug his brother, all sorts of emotions flowed through him.
Mikey would hold Jake close to his heart so carefully. He knew he had the capability to be a big brother and now that he really needed to show that side of himself, Mikey was more than willing.
The two only grew closer since then.
According to Jessica, whenever his little brother would hear his voice, he would turn his head in Mikey’s direction and look for him. Mikey was also the first person Jake ever smiled at.
And Mikey expressed how much Jake, the greatest gift he could ever ask for, means to him.
And Mikey is never ashamed of expressing how much Jake, the greatest gift he could ever ask for, means to him.
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