Sunderland Echo

SISTERS ACT

Two siblings give birth on same day

- by Sophie Brownson sophie.brownson@jpress.co.uk Twitter: @sunderland­echo

It was double joy for two Sunderland sisters who delivered their babies within minutes of each other.

Kelly Pemberton, 34, and sister Tanya Beattie, 36, couldn’t believe it when they discovered that they had both gone into labour at the same time.

Kelly and husband Paul, 40, from Hayton Close in Southwick, were over the moon to welcome their third child Anais Pemberton to the family weighing 5lb 2oz on Thursday, April 5.

The couple’s first daughter was born at 3.30pm - and just 20 minutes later, at 3.50pm, Kelly’s sister Tanya welcomed her eighth child into the world, son Buddy Beattie.

Tanya and partner Paul Palmer, 35, from Coldstream Avenue in Southwick, were overjoyed with their bundle of joy, who weighed 5lb 150z.

The couple are also parents to Caitlyn Beattie, 19, Tyler Beattie, 18, Brodie Beattie, 16, Dylan Beattie, 15, Blake Beattie, 10, Bailey Beattie, 2, and Blue Beattie, 1.

Both mums and babies are now home and doing well, but it was an incredible journey for Kelly who went into labour at just 30 weeks back in March.

HusbandPau­l,whoworks for Sunderland City Council, said: “Kelly was meant to be due on May 5, but at 30 weeks pregnant she started to go into labour.

“She was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees as there were no incubators available in Sunderland, but they managed to stop the labour with medication and she managed to hang on for another five weeks.

“Meanwhile Kelly’s sister Tanya was due her baby at the end of April and both of them went into hospital at Sunderland Royal and the babies were born on the same day.

“They were just 20 minutes apart.

“Staff at the hospital said it had been a long time since anything like that had happened!

“We are all over the moon and the boys are chuffed to have a little sister.”

Following the birth Kelly spent a few days in hospital as little Anais has a slight infection, but she has since recovered and is doing fine.

Paul and Kelly, who have two sons, Noel, 15, and Conrad, 11, said it had been an unreal experience.

Kelly said: “It was a case of the midwives trying to guess which one of us was going to have it first!

“And my mum, Sharon Beattie, kept phoning to see if Tanya had had her baby.

“They couldn’t believe it at the hospital as it is so rare”

“A midwife said she had never known it happen.”

“They couldn’t believe it at the hospital as it is so rare” KELLY PEMBERTON

 ??  ?? Kelly Pemberton and Tanya Beattie with babies Buddy and Anais.
Kelly Pemberton and Tanya Beattie with babies Buddy and Anais.
 ??  ?? Kelly Pemberton with baby Anais Pemberton and sister Tanya Beattie with baby Buddy Beattie (R) gave birth within twenty minutes of each other.
Kelly Pemberton with baby Anais Pemberton and sister Tanya Beattie with baby Buddy Beattie (R) gave birth within twenty minutes of each other.
 ??  ?? Buddy and Anais.
Buddy and Anais.

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