John Godwin, a fan-favorite from the hit series Duck Dynasty, has officially stepped into his new role as a grandfather, though the arrival of his twin granddaughters was not without its challenges.
On a recent episode of the Duck Call Room podcast, Godwin revealed that baby girls Cassandra and Isabella were born in mid-December, arriving earlier than expected. The premature birth followed a health scare for Godwin’s daughter, Johanna, who began showing symptoms of preeclampsia. After recording a dangerously high blood pressure reading, Johanna was rushed into an emergency delivery.
The twins have spent the last several weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While the experience was “tough”—with Johanna unable to hold her daughters for the first 36 hours—the family recently shared a positive update. Johanna noted on social media that the girls are making “huge strides,” having transitioned off breathing assistance and feeding tubes. The family is hopeful that the twins will be discharged and heading home any day now.
According to the Mayo Clinic, preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that can cause high blood pressure, high levels of protein in urine, severe headaches and other symptoms.
Left untreated, the condition can be fatal for both mother and baby.
Godwin said the morning after Johanna was hospitalized, things happened fast.
“She called at 5:30 the next morning, said, ‘Y’all need to get up here, y’all fixin’ to have grandkids,’” he said.
The two girls were born safe, and Johanna’s condition improved after the birth, despite the fact that “she had to have magnesium” and “was pale for a couple days,” Godwin explained.
“She didn’t even get to hold ‘em for a day and a half. Yeah, it was tough.”