A father from Scotland has shared his family’s personal story and detailed the birth of his miracle twins. The words warm the hearts; the pictures touch the deepest corners of us, move us to tears, and make us be grateful, have hope, and believe strongly…
Contrary to all expectations and far from bad predictions, these babies show that the will to live always wins. The twins were born three months before their due date. But today they are healthy, smiling, and happy.
Peter McKenna, 33, said he became very worried when his six-months-pregnant wife Charlotte, also 33, started having ᴘᴀɪɴ in her stomach, just months before she had a ʜᴀᴇᴍᴏʀʀʜᴀɢᴇ. Over the phone, the doctors advise Charlotte to take the necessary ᴘɪʟʟ and monitor the situation. The ᴘᴀɪɴ persisted, and the expectant parents rushed to the royal hospital in the city.
It turns out that the pregnant woman needs an ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. The next day after admission, the twins were born – three months before their due date. Reuben and Simon are extremely tiny, but the care they receive from the medical staff in the ɴᴇᴏɴᴀᴛᴀʟ ᴜɴɪᴛ is exceptional and helps the boys survive. The twins are getting stronger with each passing day.
The dad shares, “The pregnancy was quite difficult from the start. My partner, Charlotte, was on ꜰᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴅʀᴜɢs that increased the chance of having twins, and we were prepared that we might have twins. Still, when we saw two heartbeats being picked up, we froze. We were so excited, but also ᴛᴇʀʀɪꜰɪᴇᴅ. A month after the news, Charlotte started bleeding profusely, and we both thought we were going to ʟᴏsᴇ the babies. It was really ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ, but it was all right.”
When the decision was made to have a ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, it was explained to the parents that the likelihood of sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs, even ꜰᴀᴛᴀʟ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs was high.
The dad also said: “At this point, Charlotte had a ᴘʀᴏʟᴀᴘsᴇᴅ ᴜᴍʙɪʟɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴅ; the likelihood of it wrapping around one of the babies’ necks and sᴜꜰꜰᴏᴄᴀᴛɪɴɢ them is high. After the medics realized that the situation was extremely difficult, as we were the only ones, suddenly there were about 12 people in the room. We were told Charlotte would need an ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ under ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴀɴᴇsᴛʜᴇsɪᴀ. We panicked. I told her I loved her and I would see her soon. I waited in a separate room and walked around thinking of all the things that could go wrong. A member of staff came and offered me a cup of tea, and then, an hour later, someone came out and said, ‘Congratulations! You are the father of two little boys.’ It was really overwhelming. We spent about three months in the hospital. The team that looked after the boys was exceptional. The whole experience was ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ and life-changing.”
The couple quickly adapted to the situation and came every day to visit and feed their sons. Yes, it’s hard to watch your children connected to machines that help them breathe, but Peter and Charlotte are lucky that their boys can’t stop smiling. And this is such a great reward that you have no right to give up, refuse, or despair. And while at first the babies can barely fit in the palm of their father’s hand, over time they become stronger, more combative, and healthier. The ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs along the way are not lacking, but small miracles are not passed on.
It’s time for the first hug. “It was a huge turning point for both of us. You feel their warmth against your warmth, and they can feel that you are their parent and there for them. It was such a special, inexplicable moment that I’ll never forget,” says Peter.
For days, the twins are given special care, and mom and dad visit their children every day. The prize is here, and at some point, parents hear the magic words: “You can take them home.” This happens in early November, three months after the birth of twins.
The dad said, “It was one of the hardest times of our lives, and the staff did everything they could to make sure our boys survived. A year later, after we brought them home, they just walk around and chatter; will they ever understand the incredible story of their birth?”
