Sisters share incredible bond — and a delivery date

It’s often said that sisters share an incredible bond, one formed from friendship, love and trust.

For sisters Maria Venard and Marti Sudbeck, that connection has grown even stronger, and they’re happy to pass that bond onto the next generation. They were able to share an incredible moment with one another, as well as their daughters.

“This is Bittley, she’s my first child and I really wanted my big sister here with me, for support,” said Marti, as she sat in one of only two joint postpartum rooms at Rapid City Hospital. Sitting in the bed beside her was big sister Maria, holding her youngest daughter Leighton.

“Our daughters were born about 17 hours apart,” laughed Maria.

The timeline was a bit of a blur, and rightfully so — welcoming one baby to the world is exciting enough for most families, let alone two in one day. That’s the stuff family legends are made of, and it’s undoubtedly the beginning of a friendship that is sure to blossom between the cousins.

“She was in my delivery room, supporting and coaching me,” said Marti of sister Maria. “Then a few hours later, after Bittley and I settled in, Maria started going into labor. My husband stayed with our baby and I went down the hall to be with Maria for her delivery.”

The chances of the cousins sharing a birthday are pretty remarkable. Marti went into labor two weeks early, and for Maria, that meant delivery was three weeks early. But the sisters agree, there may have been something more about this special birthday.

“March 22 was actually the birthday of our cousin Misty who passed away recently,” Maria said.

“She was a big part of our family, she had such a loving heart,” Marti added. “We realized it was God’s plan and that Misty was smiling down on us.”

Carlee Russow, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital Labor and Delivery, was working that day and was able to be at both deliveries. “This was one of the most memorable patient experiences that I’ve ever had as a nurse. Marti and Maria are both such genuine and inclusive women and it was so fulfilling to have the opportunity to support them in bringing their daughters into the world,” she said. “These were both such fun deliveries and I will forever cherish the role I had in their shared delivery experiences. I hope Bittley and Leighton grow up to see how special the women in their family are. They are lucky girls to have Marti and Maria as their support system for life.”

Maria and Marti live about 40 minutes away from each other and spend quite a bit of time together, time that will now be shared with the newest members of their families.