Published on January 29, 2026

Celebrations Lasting a Lifetime

Celebrations Lasting a Lifetime: The Felton Triplets 25 Years NICU Visit On January 25, 2001, three tiny girls came into the world with fierce and fighting spirits. Born three months prematurely, triplets Hannah, Kate, and Lily were rushed to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, each barely weighing two pounds at birth. The girls were so little, their father’s wedding band could slip around their delicate arms. Within moments of birth, they were rushed to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, where their fight truly began.

In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a devoted team of physicians and nurses surrounded the girls with lifesaving care. With the help of respirators, their fragile lungs continued to develop and day by day, progress followed. However, the smallest triplet, Lily, developed an infection in her intestine that claimed her life at only three weeks old. Despite their heartbreaking loss, their parents, John and Johnna Felton, continued to celebrate each milestone Hannah and Kate reached, while honoring their precious Lily.

Nearly two months later, John and Johnna were given the great news that they could take Hannah and Kate home. The girls continued to grow, thrive, and defy the odds. When their first birthday approached, Johnna knew it deserved to be celebrated with the people who had walked beside them in their earliest, most fragile days. John and Johnna brought a cake to the NICU team- not just to celebrate Hannah and Kate, but all three girls – with the doctors and nurses who had meant so much to their family. What began as a simple thank you became a cherished tradition. As the years passed, Hannah and Kate have returned repeatedly with their parents, a yearly visit eagerly anticipated by both the family and the ETCH’s staff.

This year, Hannah and Kate celebrate an extraordinary milestone: their 25^th birthday. They are proud graduates of the University of Tennessee and thriving young professionals living in Nashville, Tennessee. Hannah works for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) as a project manager and Kate is with Volunteer Traditions, Inc as their ad and media manager. Their strength, determination and drive reflect the same fighting spirit they showed from the very beginning.

Through every celebration, Lily remains forever remembered—an inseparable part of their story. “I am so thankful for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and everything they did for our girls,” Johnna shares. What began in the NICU has become a lifetime of gratitude, remembrance, and celebration—proof that the smallest beginnings can leave the greatest impact.