Siblings survived against all odds
TWINS Sophie and Corey Marr are a bundle of energy – but when their mother Shaina’s waters broke only 16 weeks into her pregnancy, she was told to prepare for the worst.
Only one baby was affected but she was urged to abort them both as the risk of infection was high and their chances of survival were virtually nil.
But the 28-year-old and husband Brian, 33, refused to give up on their little girl and boy.
At every scan that followed, doctors were amazed when both babies continued to grow at the same rate – because Corey, whose amnioticniotic sac burst first, was ableble to replenish a tiny amountunt of fluid.
Now, threeree years on, the “little warriors” who spentt 60 and 108 days in hospital respectively pectively after theyy were born, have just started nursery like any other happy-go-lucky toddlers.
They even made their parents’ wedding wish come true last year as flower girl and page boy.
Shaina, from Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, said: “They’re little warriors – they put up a good fight to be here.”
She added: “I remember the doctors saying if they make it to 28 weeks their chances of surviving pretty much doubled and they made it to 27 weeks and six days. Sophie cried when she was born and Corey
wa s trying to breathe but his lungs weren’t developed at all and he had to be ventilated straight away.”
Sophie also had to be put on a ventilator to aid her breathing for several hours. Corey remained on the ventilator for another week and was on oxygen for another 14 weeks. He also had to have fluid drained from his left lung, two blood transfusions, antibiotics for an unknown infection, and battled blood poisoning.
The tot also needed surgery to fix a double hernia, and suffered a bleed to his brain.
But remarkably after almost four mmonths in hospital he finfinally joined Sophie, who hhad a less eventful two-mmonth fight, at home with theirth parents and big brother,broth Aiden, six.
Shaina said:sa “They really are a ppair of wee miracles, and I will always be grateful to ththee aamazing nursesnurs who c a rer d for
them.” th