Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Premature twins facing their biggest challenge... finding a forever home
Identical sisters desperate for loving family to take them
start in life. Also a single parent to her own 20-year-old adopted daughter, Lesley is one of the many unsung heroes of the care world. But now, at 64, she fears she is too old to offer the twins a permanent home.
She says: “I worry that by the time they’re teenagers I’ll be in my 70s and I don’t think it would be fair on them. Also, lifting Jessica will become more of a problem as the girls grow bigger.”
It’s hard to know yet whether Jessica will walk, as Lesley explains: “The doctors have said that if she is able to sit up unaided by the time she’s five, there is more hope she will be able to walk in the future.”
The girls’ six-monthly physio checks have so far been encouraging and not only can Jessica lift her head and move around, she also has good upper body strength.
But social worker Emma stresses: “It is important that any family thinking of committing to these girls knows their full medical histories.”
There will be a great deal of extra help and funding in the future for the twins, as the extent of their global development delay and impaired vision becomes better known.
Both have had cataracts removed and it is possible that Charlotte could develop glaucoma.
But they can see to look at people, read books and spot the all-important biscuit tin coming out. Taking on these twin treasures is not for the faint-hearted – but for the right family, the rewards of helping them achieve their full potential will far outweigh the hard work.
Anyone over 21 can offer a child a home. They do not need to be married or in a relationship. And gay or lesbian adopters or people with disabilities are welcomed.
Could you be Charlotte and Jessica’s forever family? Contact First4adoption on 0300 222 0022 or email helpdesk@first4adoption.org.uk