AKRON, Ohio (AP) _ Twin girls born with a rare condition in Ohio are breathing on their own and their mom says she and her husband were able to hold them on Mother’s Day.
Sarah Thistlethwaite says babies Jillian and Jenna were removed from ventilators Sunday afternoon after they were able to breathe comfortably.
The identical twin girls shared the same amniotic sac and placenta. Such births are called monoamniotic, or “mono mono,” and doctors say they occur in about one of every 10,000 births.
When Sarah and her husband Bill went to their third ultra sound to learn the sex of their baby, they discovered their double blessing.
“The ultrasound tech said, ‘Oh, there’s two.’ And, my husband said, ‘Two what? (laughs)'” said Sarah Thistlethwaite.
Because it was a high risk pregnancy, Sarah spent 56 days in the hospital. Then, on Day 57 she delivered Jillian and Jenna.
They were born at 2:41 p.m. on Mother’s Day. They came out holding hands.
“It was just so awesome and they were both holding hands and it was so great to hear them cry. It was just a miracle,” said their mom.
Jillian was quickly breathing on her own. Jenna needed a little oxygen.
“What was going through my mind, I don’t know. I couldn’t think. I started tearing up immediately,” said Bill, the father. “It was beautiful.”
The couple already has a 15-month-old son, who will soon get to know his identical twin sisters.
