Twin joy: Delight for mum who spent 10 days in coma with Covid
THE partner of a woman who spent 10 days in a coma after contracting coronavirus while expecting twins has said he is “over the moon” at becoming the father of two “healthy, perfect daughters”.
Bryan Green (33) and his fiancée Danielle Martin (33), welcomed little Ava and Amelia Green into the world nine minutes apart, and weighing 6lb 4oz and 5lb 10oz respectively.
The couple, who have three young sons, come from the Shankill area of Belfast.
The delivery was all the more special after Danielle’s battle with the disease, and their fear that they would lose their unborn babies.
“It feels amazing to have them here, healthy and perfect,” said Mr Green.
“I’m a bit nervous… but I’ve always wanted a big family.”
Mr Green, who works in security, said the couple’s sons – Jaiden (9), Parker (4) and Joshua (3) – were looking forward to seeing their new sisters and couldn’t wait for them to come home.
Their joy followed a frightening ordeal that began four months into the pregnancy – which was when the couple discovered they were actually expecting twins.
Prior to Ms Martin’s illness, they had thought only one baby was on the way.
Then she fell ill in April and had to be taken to Belfast City Hospital.
“Danielle couldn’t breathe and became very weak and was getting worse, so we needed to get an ambulance as soon as possible,” he said.
His fears deepened when doctors told him she had Covid-19. Due to the effects of the virus, she spent 10 days in a coma.
“When Danielle came out of the coma they said it was a boy and girl in her tummy, but then around halfway into the pregnancy they told us we were actually expecting two little girls,” he recalled.
Perhaps inevitably, the twin girls’ arrival took everyone by surprise.
As the due date drew near, Ms Martin went into hospital – but her partner was not allowed to go into the Royal Victoria Hospital maternity unit with her as they did not think the birth was imminent.
“I was told to go home and wait for the call, so that’s what I did,” said Mr Green.
“Then, around 8pm, Danielle rang me and told me to get to the hospital fast. I was there within minutes.”
When he arrived, Bryan said that Danielle was already in the delivery suite and “doing brilliantly”. “She was really calm,” he recalled. He added: “I must admit, I found that a bit scary.”