On Monday, Falcons Quarter Back Matt Ryan was to play in a charity golf tournament in order to raise money for Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta. Before he started playing, he told reporters some shocking news.
On January 9, he left Falcons practice to rush to the hospital, where his wife was getting admitted. Doctors at Northside Hospital placed Sarah on bedrest due to complications in her pregnancy. In November, Ryan and Sarah had announced on Instagram that they were expecting twins in April.
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After six weeks of bedrest at Northside Hospital, Sarah gave birth to “small but tough” twin boys, Marshall and Johnny. The boys were born roughly two months early, making them premature babies. In an Instagram post, Sarah detailed that the boys were kept Neonatal Intensive Care for more than the first month of their lives.
Sarah wrote: “Marshall Thomas Ryan, was sent home after 5 weeks in the NICU. His brother John (Johnny) Matthew Ryan followed a week later.”
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The boy’s names come from Sarah’s side of the family. Her maiden name is Marshall, and her father’s name is John.
‘To say that having Marshall and Johnny at home is a dream come true for Matt and I would be putting it mildly. We are endlessly thankful for their doctors and nurses in the NICU who gave them the most incredible care and will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
Sarah wrote on Instagram:
“‘We are so grateful for our family and friends who we couldn’t have gotten through this journey without. And we thank everyone/all of you who checked in on us over these past few months. We so appreciate it. Now after a lack in posting I will be flooding your timelines with baby photos. Exactly what I said I would never do.”
Ryan also took to Instagram to share the exciting news.
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The Falcons QB posted an assortment of photos, captioning them, “Welcome our boys Marshall and Johnny. #Family #DadLife.”
On January 9 when Ryan left practice, he was asked how he could afford to miss practice so close to the end of the season.
“At that time, I felt like it was a no-brainer. Football is extremely important, but there is nothing more important than your family,” Ryan said.
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On January 13, the Falcon lost to the Eagles in the divisional round of the NFC Championship. When it came time for the Super Bowl, the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, which Ryan and his wife watched from the hospital.
“Any time you have a child it’s scary, exciting, all of those things at once. Obviously, with twins, there’s a high risk of complications. Anyone who’s spent time in the NICU knows about the emotions that go with it. We’re so lucky to have two beautiful boys, and guys that were fighters.”
He added: ‘They did a good job in there. Just a big thank you to all the people at the hospital, all of the doctors and both in the labor and delivery section….They do amazing things.’