Jade and Steve, with children Harry and Harley (Picture: Caters News)
Proud parents, Jade and Steve, are delighted to be celebrating Christmas this year with their 14-month-old twins – after the tiny babies were fighting for the lives just a year ago.
When twins Harry and Harley were born at 22 weeks, medics prepared Jade and Steve that their children were unlikely to survive more than a couple of moments.
Despite this, 12 weeks later they spent Christmas 2021 in a critical, but stable, condition.
A year on, it’s a completely different story.
Now at home and off oxygen, 14 month old Harry and Harley are thriving and ready to celebrate Christmas.
Jade and her twins were born 18 weeks early, before the UK abortion limit, in October 2021.
They’ve beaten the odds (Picture: Caters News)
Now known as the UK’s most premature twins to survive, the siblings weighed just 1lb and spent five months in hospital, before being strong enough to go home to Derbyshire in March.
Medics have been amazed at how the brother and sister have thrived, and didn’t expect them to be well enough to go home.
Jade said: ‘I can’t put into words how I feel to be able to celebrate Christmas at home with them.
‘My babies were given a 0% chance of survival and no quality of life, and now they are home, happy and laughing.
‘Christmas so far has been magical, it’s everything I always wanted, and I have to pinch myself when I think about how lucky we are to have them home.’
As the babies were 18 weeks early, Jade expected to still be pregnant last Christmas – not in a hospital willing them well.
She said: ‘We lived minute to minute, hour by hour, then slowly day by day.
‘From the day they were born until Christmas Eve, nurses knew It wasn’t wise for me to leave the hospital, so I never went home.
Jade with Harry and Harley (Picture: Caters News)
‘But they turned a corner on Christmas Eve and nurses reassured me they were stable enough for me to leave the hospital for just a couple of hours.
‘Steve and I then spent Christmas Day with them and despite still being so tiny, I knew in my heart we would have more than one Christmas with them.
‘I knew they were fighters and we would one day bring them home.’
Harley amazingly pulled her own wire out last Christmas, showing she could breathe without it.
Jade added: ‘In the New Year, doctors starting using words like “stable” instead of “fragile”, that hadn’t happened before.,
‘Looking back I was naively positive throughout it all but I knew they were strong.
‘I was very optimistic, they were the ones fighting for their lives, I just had to support them, be their voice and advocate for them.’
Jade had to wait 72 days to hold both her children together, sat between their incubators and supported with wires.
Now, they’re learning to sit and pull themselves up. She’s been told Harry may never walk, but they don’t know for sure.
She said: ‘Their own strength is incredible and we are blown away by how well they are doing.
‘We were warned Harry could have brain damage, but he is doing everything they once said he wouldn’t.
‘To see the bond the twins have is priceless and I know that whatever they face in the future, they will get each other through it.’
The family will celebrate their first Christmas day at home together, before being joined by family and friends on Boxing Day.
Jade said: ‘We are looking forward to sitting down at the table and enjoying a messy Christmas dinner together and that’s just everything to me.
‘Last year they were in an incubator, wearing just a nappy, so this Christmas I have bought lots of cute Christmas outfits.
‘I’ve waited my entire life for this, after 11 years of infertility battles. I’ve pulled out all the stops to make all those first memories, we couldn’t do last Christmas.
‘Last year they were smaller than elf on the shelf, so we’ll be starting that tradition too.’
Making this a season to remember, Jade planned out a festive month for the pair.
Jade said: ‘I booked so many experiences for them, including breakfast with Santa and a train ride.
‘Santa is bringing them a Montessori climbing frame, wooden toys and a little soft play set.’
The family will also return to the hospital ward, as Jade has made care packages for other families experiencing similar heartache she went though.
‘We know what they are going through and how fortunate we are, and how different it could have been,’ she said.
‘We just wanted to show other parents we understand – you don’t ever forget what it’s like to have a premature baby.
‘Christmas is a reflective time and I can’t put into words how grateful we are.’
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‘To see the bond they have is priceless and I know that whatever they face in the future, they will get each other through it.’
