In the world of young Mikey Marotta, the longing for a baby brother had been a constant refrain for as long as he could remember. However, for Mikey’s parents, Jessica and Michael Marotta, the road to granting their son’s wish was fraught with challenges, including fertility struggles and a heartbreaking miscarriage in early 2017. At that time, they believed that Mikey’s dream of having a baby brother might never materialize.
Jessica Marotta shared, “We had a heart-to-heart one night and decided we would be perfectly content as a family of three. When Mikey would ask when he was going to get his baby brother, we would explain that he may not get one—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.”
Yet, life often has its way of surprising us. In the summer of 2017, Jessica received news that would bring immense joy and fulfillment to Mikey’s heartfelt wish—a positive pregnancy test.
“When Mikey found out, he teared up and was very happy,” Jessica recalled. “But he was never surprised or overly excited when we found out it was a boy. He just said, ‘Obviously, I am having a baby brother; it’s what I asked for.’”
Mikey, with the wisdom of a 6-year-old, embraced his impending role as a big brother with open arms. He meticulously prepared for the arrival of his sibling, filled with dreams and plans for their future together. Even during Halloween, while trick-or-treating, he excitedly discussed the costumes he and his baby brother would wear the following year.
Jessica fondly shared, “He had so many plans. Whenever he had two of something or got something new, he would say, ‘I’m going to save this other one for my baby brother.’”
Moreover, Mikey’s imagination extended to unique details of their shared lives, such as the color of his baby brother’s hair. Jessica humorously revealed, “He is under the impression he has red hair because I ate buffalo chicken when I was pregnant with him, so he kept telling me to make sure I ate buffalo chicken so the baby would have red hair too.”
However, life took an unexpected turn when baby Jake arrived prematurely, spending over 60 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to intrauterine growth restriction—a condition affecting a baby’s growth. Jessica delivered Jake via emergency C-section in March.
“The first time Mikey saw Jake in the NICU, he just stared at him and looked so overwhelmed and nervous,” Jessica shared. “The first thing he said was, ‘He has red hair like me!’”
The NICU became a place of profound learning for Mikey. Jessica and Mikey had numerous conversations about the significance of skin-to-skin contact between parent and baby, a practice they had engaged in when Mikey was an infant.
The bond between Mikey and Jake blossomed beautifully. Today, at nearly 5 months old, Jake eagerly responds to Mikey’s voice and smiles when he sees him. Jessica emphasized, “Mikey was also the first one Jake smiled at, and for a while, he was the only one who could make Jake smile.”
Jessica recently shared the heartwarming story of her sons on Love What Matters, and the incredible connection between the two boys has touched many hearts.
“Mikey tells Jake he loves him all the time and sings him songs he makes up,” Jessica revealed. “He says things like, ‘You are a part of me, and I will never let anything bad happen to you,’ and he keeps a picture of Jake in his little wallet.”
In hindsight, it appears that Mikey had known in his heart all along that his baby brother was destined to join their family. It was merely a matter of time—a testament to the power of dreams and the incredible bond shared between siblings.
