Sisters Kyla Miller, 15, and Kelly Marsh, 10, are energetic young girls with bright smiles who both love to dance, excel in school and keep their families busy with their activities.

But watching them now, it’s hard to imagine that they both entered the world as preemies, weighing less than 2 pounds.

When their mom, Starla Marsh, was 23 years old and pregnant with Kyla, she expected her pregnancy to unfold like most first-time mothers imagine it will.

Instead, she found herself facing a diagnosis of preeclampsia, which can threaten the health of both mother and baby. She was transferred to Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem for specialized care.

"You don't really hear too much about premature births. What you hear are the scary stories. I was scared,” Marsh said. Thankfully, her care team provided not just expert medical care, but also compassion.

"Everyone at the hospital was so supportive," she said. "The nurses were amazing. They took such good care of me and my baby."

One in 10 babies are born premature in the United States. For families facing a high-risk pregnancy or early delivery, the uncertainty can be overwhelming. But stories like Kyla and Kelly's can offer something powerful: hope.

Once Marsh overcame the initial shock that her baby was coming sooner rather than later, she was appreciative of the team of specialists including maternal-fetal medicine experts, obstetric providers, neonatologists and neonatal nurses who provided support and care.

That expertise would prove critical for Marsh and her daughter.

Kyla arrived at just 26 weeks gestation in November 2010, weighing only 1 pound, 6 ounces.

"When it's your first pregnancy, you just think you're going to get to the finish line," Marsh said. "But things don't always go as planned."

Tiny but determined

Because she arrived so early, Kyla spent several months in the neonatal intensive care unit before finally going home in February 2011.

Novant Health's NICU teams care for babies born prematurely as well as newborns facing serious medical conditions, using specialized technology and around-the-clock support from neonatologists, nurse practitioners and specially trained nurses.

For Kyla's family, those weeks felt both long and precious.

Her grandmother, Tammy Waden, remembers arriving at the hospital with doll clothes she'd purchased for her new granddaughter.

"They were too big," she recalled with a laugh.

As Kyla grew, she developed into a bright, creative child with her own unique interests and strengths. She later received an autism diagnosis and experienced learning challenges that required additional support at school. Her family emphasizes that those challenges became part of a journey defined by persistence rather than limitation.

After repeating eighth grade at The Point, a charter school in Jamestown, North Carolina, Kyla flourished.

"She was sad at first to repeat, but she kept a positive attitude,” Marsh said. “She did really well.”

This spring, the teenager received her school's inaugural Most Improved Student Award, surprising both her and her family.

Then came an even bigger moment.

Standing before classmates, teachers and family members at graduation, Kyla delivered a speech about her journey, sharing the obstacles she had faced and the determination that carried her forward.

"All the kids were just so excited for her," Marsh said. "It was just an amazing moment."

A sister, another challenging beginning

About six years after Kyla's birth, Marsh found herself back at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center facing a familiar diagnosis.

In December 2016, she developed severe pre-eclampsia during her second pregnancy and was admitted at just 22 weeks gestation in hopes of extending the pregnancy for as long as possible.

This time, Marsh knew what to expect. Most importantly, she trusted the team caring for her.

"I wasn't quite as scared," she said. “I knew more about what to expect.”

Baby Kelly Marsh arrived at 28 weeks on Jan. 9, weighing 1 pound, 10.5 ounces.

Like her sister, Kelly has faced her own hurdles growing up. She wore leg braces as a young child to correct a turned foot.

Today, however, those medical challenges are far from the defining chapters of either girl's story.

Looking ahead

The sisters are opposites in demeanor. Kelly, 10, is more outgoing, while Kyla, 15, is reserved. But when she’s in dance class, Kyla “comes out of her turtle shell and turns into a different person,” Marsh said.

Kelly is a cheerleader and loves dancing just as much as her big sister does. Together, the girls fill their High Point home with energy, creativity and joy.

"They're both thriving," Marsh said. "I could not be more proud."

Meanwhile, Marsh continues writing her own success story. She works as a certified pharmacy technician, is pursuing a degree in healthcare management, serves as a camera director at her church and volunteers on its medical response team.

But no matter how much time passes, she has never forgotten the nurses and caregivers who stood beside her during two of the most difficult times of her life.

"When I was there, they took such good care of me and the babies," she said. "It was a very heartwarming experience."

Today, when she meets other parents facing the uncertainty of a high-risk pregnancy or a premature delivery, she offers reassurance rooted in experience.

"I tell everyone, if they have to have their baby early, they should go to Forsyth Medical Center," she said.

For Marsh, the tiny babies who once fit in the palm of her hand are growing up fast and doing great, proving that the future cannot be measured by a birth weight.