REMEMBER WHEN

THEY were the miracle babies Helene Tessieri waited more than 17 years to have.

The proud Elanora mother was learning to let go of her ’little girls’ Belinda and Stephanie Tessieri, the Gold Coast’s first IVF twins.

The two, who turned 21 that day, grew into beautiful young women and were preparing to fly the coop.

An emotional Mrs Tessieri said it was hard letting go of the children she had tried so desperately to have. ”It is very emotional for me,’’ she said.

“I feel it is an end of an era. I felt up until 21 I could keep them, they were my babies still, but now I have to relent and let them move on.”

Belinda and Stephanie made headlines around the country when they became the first in-vitro fertilisation twins to be born on the Coast and the fourth set to be born in the state.

At the time, they were dubbed the “two tiny miracles”.

They were conceived during Helene and Alviero Tessieri’s first attempt at IVF.

The tiny twins battled on, despite their chance of survival being ‘touch and go’ for about four weeks, after coming into the world 11 weeks premature.

Mrs Tessieri said 21 years on, her little girls were still her miracles.

The twins said it was hard to imagine their frail start to life in 1984.

“It is really surreal,’’ said Belinda.

“It is kind of weird that we almost could not be here.

“It is amazing enough that we were there to begin with, but that we had to fight.”