Obituary of Celine Marie & Leo James Bertolo-DelSignore

On Sunday, August 4th our lives forever changed with the births of our precious babies Celine and Leo. They were very premature, arriving 15 weeks earlier than expected. We were on our delayed honeymoon travelling in Europe when we awoke to missed calls and messages that our surrogate had unexpectedly gone into labor. We spent the longest 36 hours of our lives making the journey to our babies in NY. We told ourselves during the flights that everything would be fine. We landed at Toronto Pearson Airport and then drove 8 anxious hours to New York. During our drive, the hospital would frequently call to inform us of the serious and life-threatening conditions of our babies. We started to worry, but continued to remain hopeful as parents would. When we arrived at the hospital at 1am the doctors sat us down to tell us our daughter had suffered one of the worst brain bleeds they had seen and was not expected to make it. We were heartbroken by this devastating update. We had not slept in nearly 48 hours but wanted to see our babies. Our beautiful daughter Celine was a fighter. At only 1.5 pounds, she was also a talker. She would talk to us for hours while we held her despite the numerous machines and tubes attached to her. Our son Leo was very handsome and easy-going. We were more optimistic about Leo's outcome until day 4 when he also suffered a severe brain hemorrhage. Leo faced other challenges and required emergency surgery on day 6. He did not cry or flinch as they operated on his small 2-pound body. We spent a week sleeping on a hospital couch until the staff insisted, we find alternative accommodations. The Ronald McDonald House was our home away from home for the last 5 weeks. It was close to the hospital so we could easily wake up and rush there. Despite the circumstances, there were special moments when we would hold and bond with them. Celine would talk to us and we would feel Leo's pudgy cheeks and hands on us. The 5 weeks at the hospital were the hardest moments in our lives. We would watch numerous doctors and nurses run to their bedsides and the constant sounds of machines and alarms were overwhelming. We also experienced the loss of our dog Rémy during this profound time. On day 7, Ron drove 1,100 miles in less than 24 hours to say goodbye to Rémy, while Louis Face-Timed his goodbyes. Rémy's easy-going temperament very much echoed Leo's. It was our honor and privilege to spend every day and night with them until they passed. They made us Dads and we cherished every moment we had with them despite the devastating circumstances we faced at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We explored every medical treatment option and called on experts Louis knows, and others we did not, from all over North America. The kindness so many showed us while we still had hope will always be appreciated. Celine and Leo fought hard, but peacefully passed on September 9th surrounded by family. They succumbed to complications from their brain injuries. It is a sorrowful reality that brain injuries have taken them given that Louis passionately advocates for brain injury survivors. We are thankful for the doctors, nurses and staff at Albany Medical Center who opened their hearts to our babies and provided excellent care and compassion. We are appreciative for the doctors, nurses and staff at London Health Sciences Neonatal Department, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and other institutions we contacted for their expertise and advice. We are forever grateful to our surrogate Kristy who helped make us parents. We felt so much support from our close family and friends as they were made aware of this delicate and devastating situation. While we wanted to immediately share the news of their births with everyone, our focus needed to be on our babies and their care. Thank you to our work team members, clients, and colleagues for being patient while it took us a little longer than usual to respond to work obligations. Celine and Leo will forever be in our hearts and will be buried together in a private family ceremony on Friday, September 13th alongside Louis's father Louis J. DelSignore, Sr in Saratoga County, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House (Albany, NY), or Children's Health Foundation (London, ON) in their memories.