Full of life, twins who ‘died’ for 5 minutes
THESE are the twins who ‘died’ for five minutes – and came back to life.
Harley and Noah Hopwood were not breathing when they were born in hospital at only 27 weeks and doctors began a frantic battle to resuscitate them.
It was five agonising minutes before the twins took a breath. Their mother Lynsay Fletcher, 31, said: ‘I was crying and asking the doctors if they were OK but no one could tell me.
‘They were lying there completely lifeless. And then finally we heard a cry from both of them. It was the sweetest sound ever.’ The twins, born in April last year, have made a full recovery and are home with their parents. But Miss Fletcher, who lives in Plympton, Devon, with partner Josh Hopwood, 36, said the five minutes after they were born at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, were ‘the longest of my life’.
Miss Fletcher was 20 weeks pregnant when twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome – where one takes all the nutrients from the other – was diagnosed. It is life threatening for both twins, including the one who gets all the nutrients as it can put too much strain on the heart.
The couple were advised to terminate the smaller twin to give the bigger one a chance to survive. Miss Fletcher said: ‘We couldn’t bring ourselves to make that terrible decision to get rid of one of our twins to save the other. They had both come into this world at the same time, they deserved the same chance.’
At 27 weeks a scan showed that Harley, the bigger twin, wasn’t moving in the womb and wouldn’t survive unles he was delivered immediately.
Doctors delivered both babies quickly, Harley weighing 2Ib 2oz and Noah 1Ib 6oz. Harley was allowed home after seven weeks but Noah was in hospital for nearly seven months.
Now, at 17 months old, they look the picture of health. Miss Fletcher said: ‘The twins are doing amazingly well. Home: With mum Lynsay Harley is the most demanding whereas Noah is very chilled and laid back.
‘It really is a miracle that they are here with us today, and when I look at them each day I’m reminded how lucky we are to have them.’