"He says things like, 'You are a part of me, and I will never let anything bad happen to you,'" the mother disclosed.
Having a sibling is an exciting development for any child.
While some may be a bit envious of the attention, the vast majority of children enthusiastically accept the responsibility of being an elder guardian.
Sometimes, the desire to have a younger sibling or sister encourages other parents to have more children. But what if they are unable to do so?
If Santa were to ask Mikey Marotta what kind of present he desires, he already has an idea.
No, it is not a video game console, cell phone, or miniature vehicle. According to his parents, Mikey would most likely request a baby sibling.
In fact, Mikey was so eager to become an elder sibling that he planned ahead for their Halloween costumes as siblings. Whenever he acquires something new or extra, he will always "save" it for his sibling.
At one point, he advised his mother to consume buffalo wings because he believed they were the cause of his ginger hair. This time, he wishes for his brother to be the same color.
But becoming pregnant was difficult.
Jessica and Michael Marotta did their utmost to fulfill Mikey's wishes. However, their efforts were hampered by fertility issues. In 2007, Jessica suffered a miscarriage, which was the most difficult event.
When they realized that their efforts were fruitless, they sat down with Mikey to discuss their options. During one of these heart-to-heart conversations, they conveyed to him that a family of three is perfectly acceptable.
"When Mikey asked when he would get a baby sibling, we explained that he might not get one — that some families only have one child, and that's okay. He would shed tears and say, 'It's okay if I don't get a human brother; I have our dog, Dillinger,'" Jessica informed TODAY.
In the summer of 2017, however, everything changed.
Jessica discovered she was expecting. But one person is far more enthusiastic than Jessica and Michael combined. Jessica stated that Mikey "had tears in his eyes and was ecstatic." However, the family once again encountered complications.
The infant has been identified as having intrauterine growth restriction. The baby had to be delivered via Caesarean section. Mikey subsequently spent his days in the NICU.
There, they explained the significance of skin-to-skin contact.
When Mikey was younger, Jessica also held him against her skin, so she is aware of how potent this could be. So, when Mikey was given permission to embrace his brother, a variety of emotions flooded through him.
Mikey would occasionally hold Jake near to his heart. Mikey knew he had the capacity to be a big brother, and now that he needed to demonstrate it, he was more than willing to do so.
Since then, they have grown closer.
Jessica revealed that whenever his younger brother heard his voice, he would turn his head toward Mikey and search for him. Additionally, Mikey was the first person Jake ever grinned at.
And Mikey is never embarrassed to convey how much Jake, the finest gift he could have ever wished for, means to him.
Jessica revealed, "He says things like, 'You are a part of me, and I will never let anything bad happen to you.'" Mikey carries a photograph of Jake in his wallet.
Observe how this young child reacted when he first held his sibling.
