One of the most stressful things a parent can experience is having their baby born prematurely.
One couple recently fought this battle with not one, but two babies.
And now the mother of these precious newborn twins shares an incredible story of survival and one beautiful Christmas miracle.
Parents of eight, James and Casey, had recently lost a baby to miscarriage.
But not long after the loss, the Lord blessed them again when they were met with the news of Casey’s pregnancy.
This time though, they were blessed with twins.
James and Casey worried the two boys were not going to make it.
The brothers, Bailey and Lucas were diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a condition that causes blood to flow unevenly through the placenta the twins share, resulting in one having a high blood level and the other a low blood level.
The parents were referred to Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane, where Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dr Glenn Gardener told them the boy’s chance of survival was low.
They determined the babies’ best chance was early delivery through a caesarean section.
“It was decided that the best chance of survival for both babies was to deliver the twins prematurely by caesarean section,” said James, the father.
They were delivered 13 weeks before their due date.
After delivery, the boys weighed around just 2 pounds each.
After being born, the twins stayed at the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at the hospital where they were born before Bailey was transferred to a hospital closer to the parents’ home.
Despite the long distance, Casey made it a point to visit her boys in the hospital daily.
“Casey drove day in and day out every day to see her boys”, James said. “I know how much she was driving because I had bought a new car to bring the twins home in – she had clocked up 15,000 km in the time they were in the NCCU”.
The boys had to spend several months in the hospital before they could come home.
They faced several complications.
Bailey was intubated to assist with his breathing, and was diagnosed with polycythaemia, which means he had too many red blood cells, and a cardiac issue.
Lucas was diagnosed with aortic stenosis, a disease that prevents the heart valve from opening fully.
Doctors had to perform two life-saving heart surgeries on Lucas, which they had to wait until he gained enough weight for them to be able to safely do so.
But despite all of their trials, both boys were miraculously home from the hospital just in time to celebrate their first Christmas!
“The boys are home and enjoying life”, James, the boys’ father said. “Bailey is quickly tipping the scales at 6.7kg, and Lucas a little slower at 5.09kg, but it’s good to have everyone home together – it’s been quite a while”. “To look at them now and think where they were just a few months ago is incredible …we are eternally grateful to have them here with us on Christmas Day”.
The spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson weighed in on the story.
“This lovely story of twin boys surviving multiple medical challenges to come home for Christmas highlights the resilience of the human spirit. We’re delighted that Bailey and Lucas can celebrate Christmas with their family and wish these little fighters well,” she said.
Thankfully, these two boys had parents that were willing to do whatever was needed to protect their lives.
Pro-Life Press will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
