'Teen Mom' star Mackenzie McKee is getting real about having to leave one of her twins in the NICU after taking one home. Here's what she said about feeling 'so crushed.'
Mackenzie McKee, star of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, and husband, Khesanio Hall, joyfully welcomed twin daughters — Ja’Kharie Angie and Ja’Meikah Angella Hall — via C‑section on June 2, 2025. The little girls arrived minutes apart. Ja’Kharie was born at 7:08 p.m., and Ja’Meikah at 7:11 p.m. And they were immediately admitted to the NICU due to their premature birth. Despite a difficult pregnancy that included managing type 1 diabetes and preeclampsia, Mackenzie described the moment as “magical,” expressing her gratitude for the girls’ strength and health. Now, the reality star has a new battle to face, as she admits she feels “so crushed” by the “twin NICU life.”
Mackenzie McKee said 1 of her newborn twin daughters had to stay in the NICU
Teen Mom star Mackenzie McKee and her husband, Khesanio Hall, welcomed their beautiful twin girls — Ja’Kharie Angie and Ja’Meikah Angella Hall — on June 2, 2025, via emergency C-section at just 31 weeks gestation. Weighing in at 5 lbs and 5 lbs 2 oz, respectively, the twins arrived only minutes apart and were immediately whisked to the NICU due to their prematurity.
Mackenzie had a difficult pregnancy and documented her journey for her fans. Now that the babies are born, she has a new challenge. While she brought one twin home, the other had to stay in the NICU.
“What do you mean you’re sending me home without my sister? This is the hardest part of the twin NICU life,” she posted to Facebook with a photo of one healthy baby in a baby carrier, according to The U.S. Sun. “My heart is so happy to have my baby home with me, and so crushed that my other baby is being left at the hospital.”
“They went from being in my belly together, to separate cribs across the room, now completely apart,” Mackenzie continued. “But one day very soon they will be side by side once again.”
She and Khesanio Hall named the twins after their mothers
On June 4, 2025, Mackenzie McKee posted to Instagram about the birth of her twins. She posted photos of herself and Khesanio Hall with the babies in the NICU.
“Welcome to the world Ja’Kharie Angie Hall and Ja’Meikah Angella Hall,” she captioned the post. “Both named after our moms, the most beautiful ladies who mean everything to us. Born 31 1/2 weeks. 5,0, and 5,4. Both 17 inches long and O so beautiful. Mom and Dad are over the moon and so happy, the cries we cried when we heard those first cries. We are so in love.”
Some fans didn’t understand the twins’ names. However, one fan commented with an explanation.
“First names are tradition on both sides to have three-syllable names, and a tradition on Khesanio mother’s grandchildren all start with J,” a fan wrote. “Their middle name is after both grandmothers.”
‘Teen Mom’ fans followed Mackenzie McKee’s high-risk pregnancy
During her high-risk twin pregnancy, Teen Mom star Mackenzie McKee faced a serious health scare when she developed preeclampsia in late May 2025. After suddenly gaining 20 pounds of water weight in just 48 hours — accompanied by alarming swelling in her feet, ankles, and legs — she was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with the condition. Despite her doctors initially advising her to stay put, a second opinion revealed preeclampsia serious enough to warrant hospitalization.
“In the past 48 hours, my body has taken a rapid turn of preeclampsia symptoms,” she explained from her car in a clip posted to Reddit. “And I have gained 20 pounds in 48 hours of water weight. I was looking at my feet, ankles, and legs, and I just started seeing them get bigger, and bigger, and bigger throughout the day. And then it got to a point where I can’t walk.”
In addition to this, Mackenzie has Type 1 diabetes. Her concern for her babies’ safety led to an emergency C‑section at just 31 weeks.
