Our Xmas miracles!
Premature twins win fight for life and go home for the festive season
‘Most amazing present for us’
THEY were given only a slim chance of survival after being born weighing less than a bag of sugar.
But tiny Daisy and James Tate made it home for Christmas after a harrowing three-month fight for life.
They were one of the smallest sets of twins born in Britain – weighing a little more than a pound each – and arrived when their mother was only 26 weeks pregnant.
Daisy was not breathing and had to be resuscitated after delivery and doctors were unsure if the infants would survive.
They were placed in the same incubator so they could cling to one another.
However, three months later, they were finally able to go home – on Christmas Eve.
Mother Jenny Tate, 33, who lives in Glasgow with partner Callum Headridge, a telecoms engineer, said: ‘It’s amazing they have done so well after they were born so tiny.
‘They have really had a massive battle for survival, so for them to make it home in time for Christmas was the most amazing present for us. When they were born we didn’t even know if they would survive, let alone make Christmas. But they are two little fighters and they have defied all expectation to do so well.’
The couple were thrilled when they discovered that Miss Tate was pregnant with twins.
She said: ‘When I fell pregnant, before I had even had my first scan I had an instinct it was going to be twins. So when I went for the scan and the sonographer told us she could see two heartbeats, it wasn’t such a shock.’
Miss Tate’s pregnancy went smoothly for 26 weeks, then she woke up one morning bleeding.
She said: ‘Callum took me to the local hospital, where they discovered that I was in labour and had started to dilate.’ She was transferred by ambulance to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and given drugs to try to halt her labour.
But 48 hours later she was moved to the city’s Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, where doctors gave her steroid injections to try to develop the babies’ lungs.
However, medics were unable to stop her going into labour, then doctors found one of the twins was lying across and the other was breech, so had to be delivered by emergency caesarean.
Daisy arrived weighing 1lb 11oz, while James was 1lb 12oz. Daisy was not breathing and had to be resuscitated, while both twins were so premature they needed a ventilator immediately.
Both twins had holes in their hearts and James struggled with his breathing.
When they were only a few weeks old, they contracted a serious form of influenza and had to be isolated for three weeks while they battled to survive.
Miss Tate said: ‘As each day passed, they got a little stronger.
‘The holes in their heart mended by themselves. The doctors put them both in the same cot to try to help them. It was wonderful to see their first cuddle together.’
On Tuesday, the twins were finally able to go home – the perfect Christmas present for their family.
Miss Tate said: ‘It was amazing to have them home after everything they had been through.
‘They are our two little Christmas miracles.’