Just looking at the Harjula family, it’s hard to believe they’ve suffered from overwhelming medical and financial hardships over the past year. Twin 1-year-olds Grant and Luke Sykes are in their walkers during a snowy January day playing and laughing as their mom feeds them.

Also in the living room is their big brother, Logan, 2, playing ball with Cassie Apple, the family dog, while grandmother Teresa, 54, looks for a mid-morning snack for Logan.

But the past year has been difficult  for the family.

In September, the bank foreclosed on Teresa Harjula’s dog kennel business and later her house. Her daughter, Harley, a 22-year-old single mom, was in her second pregnancy. Harley had Logan in 2012, and gave birth on Jan. 2, 2014 to twins born four months premature. 

Harley’s slight build made it difficult to carry a child. So carrying twins only complicated her second pregnancy. The twins each weighed one pound and two ounces at birth. They were both born with heart murmurs and lungs not fully developed.

This led to a three-month stay in hospital incubator. The boys also needed feeding tubes to survive. And when Grant’s tube was removed, it damaged his throat. Grant had surgery on Dec. 31, 2014 to repair that damage.

The twins are now at home, living with their mom, brother and grandmother in a seasonal rental unit.

The family has struggled to find permanent housing since Teresa Harjula lost her home. The family is happy in their one bedroom home in Boothbay Harbor. The home is serving the family’s needs while they search for a permanent living arrangement. The Harjulas are looking for low-income housing in the Boothbay region.

“It’s small but we very happy here,” Teresa said. “This is a summer rental owned by a former client. They heard about our problems and are letting us stay here temporarily.”

The Boothbay region community is also helping the family. The town of Boothbay Harbor assisted the family in setting up a GoFundMe.com account to raise money for their living expenses.

The account was created Dec. 17, and so far, 48 contributors have donated $4,355.

Teresa Harjula said some contributors are either friends or former customers, while others are people she has never met.

“It’s just been amazing the support we’ve gotten from the community,” Teresa Harjula said. “Overwhelming, too! It just makes you realize we’ve got some really good people in the community.”

The family needs to raise money because their earning income options are limited. Harley works between 21-28 hours per week as a Hannaford’s deli clerk. Teresa Harjula stays home and cares for the three boys.

“The boys haven’t been out of the hospital long enough for daycare to take them,” Harley said. “So mom stays home and watches them during the day.”

The family is on waiting lists to move into local housing. They are optimistic a suitable place may soon become available. Harley is looking for a two-bedroom apartment and Teresa Harjula is hoping to find an apartment close by so she can be near her grandchildren.

Besides the creation of the GoFundMe account, the community has helped the family in other ways. They moved into their temporary home on Dec. 23, and neighbors and other community members provided the family with a Christmas tree and gifts.

“It was wonderful,” Teresa said. “There were boxes outside our house with toys and pajamas. It was really nice for the boys to have a good Christmas.”

The family celebrated the twins first birthday on Jan. 2.

Teresa recalls a lot has changed since the twins’ birth. Doctors told the family the twins would probably never leave the hospital.

“They’ve made a lot of progress. We can now talk about things we just couldn’t after they were born,” Teresa said. “It’s amazing that a year has passed, and they have both done so well.”

While the twins have made major progress in their health, Grant continues to suffer more complications from the premature birth. He has pyloric stenosis, which causes babies to vomit uncontrollably. This has caused Grant to stop breathing on eight different occasions, according to Teresa. He also contracted lung disease, while Luke did not.

“You wouldn’t know it to look at him that he’s sick. He is the strongest young man that I’ve met,” Teresa said.

For those who would like to contribute to the fund, go to www.gofundme.com/iynfqg?fb_action_ids=10203532581695015&fb_action_types=og.shares.