Miracle Twins Defied the Odds and Survived Surgery Inside the Womb

Finding out that you’re having twins can inspire a series of emotions in couples, running the gamut from elation to fear, for a variety of reasons. Just ask the Rean family–when Brits Tabitha and Ben found out they were gearing up to have twin girls during their 10-week scan, they couldn’t be any happier. But then, they experienced every soon-to-be parent’s worst nightmare during their 17.5-week scan.

They were told that their twins were suffering from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a critical blood flow issue that affects to-15% of identical twins that share placentas and, when left untreated, kills 90% of babies prior to birth.

In an interview with the Daily Mail UK, the Reans remember the torturous days leading up to their daughters’ births. “Just as I thought I was going to be able to start enjoying my pregnancy after overcoming my severe morning sickness, we got the horrific news that the girls were suffering with TTTS,” Tabitha said. “It felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest and shredded it into a million little pieces.”

At just 18 weeks, the Reans were told that Tabitha would have to undergo surgery to save the lives of their twins–but she would need to do it RIGHT then, while she was still pregnant. The procedure would be done with the help of a cutting-edge laser technology which allowed Professor Kilby of Birmingham Women’s Hospital to “blate the blood vessels” thus “[reducing] the amount of amniotic fluid.”

“When I walked into the operating theatre, there were computers and screens everywhere with around 12 people all dressed in scrubs–I’ve never been so frightened in my life,” Tabitha recalled. “Both Ben and I were petrified as we really didn’t have any idea if the twins would survive the surgery and we couldn’t bear the idea of losing our twins.”

Luckily, the laser therapy surgery seemed to have been successful; doctors heard strong heartbeats right after and, in the days following the procedure, Tabitha went in for even more potentially life-saving scans.

“As well as being scanned weekly, I had a 90 minute long MRI scan to check if the girls had any neurological damage–it took so long because they were both wriggling around so much that the radiographers struggled to get a still picture!” the mom said.

When she was just 29 weeks pregnant, Tabitha went into labor and delivered the twins, which she and Ben named Jemima and Isla, via c-section. Because the girls were born so prematurely, they had to spend 6 weeks in the hospital before being released to their home.

But these days, the girls are now 14 months old and thriving–and the Reans know who they have their incredible medical team to thank for their daughters’ survival.

“The staff at Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Worcester Royal were fantastic and our two beautiful daughters wouldn’t be here without all their efforts,” Tabitha said. “That’s why Ben is now fundraising for future research so they can help save lives in the future. We feel so incredibly lucky to have our two beautiful little girls. We can’t put into words how grateful we are to all of the medical teams that saved our family – thank you will never be enough.”

As Tabitha mentioned, the couple is now focused on fundraising so that other family suffering from TTTS can get the same medical support that they did. Ben is currently hard at work training for the Prudential London 100 mile, a bike race that he will ride for the Tamba, Twins & Multiple Births Association.

According to the organization, Tamba, Twins & Multiple Births Association “[campaigns] to improve health outcomes; fund clinical research to reduce the risks faced during birth, and provide practical support & information to families, including those in crisis.” 

To contribute, visit Ben’s JustGiving fund here. And, to hear the harrowing–and ultimately happy!–story from the Rean’s themselves, be sure to watch the video below. It’s so wonderful to see little Jemima and Isla thriving despite their shaky start in this world!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this story of survival. Do you know of any families who have been affected by TTTS? If so, what is their story? Did you go through a particularly difficult pregnancy?