Twins who were born very prematurely after their mother’s water broke at just 20 weeks gestation are now thriving one year later.
Alyssa Tran’s water broke the day before she was due to undergo a 20-week ultrasound during her pregnancy with twins. She had experienced preterm pre-labour rupture of membranes, which is when a baby’s amniotic sac breaks before 37 weeks gestation. The amniotic sac had ruptured for one of Alyssa’s twins, while the other remained intact.
When Alyssa arrived at the hospital, she was immediately placed on antibiotics to ensure that her babies were less likely to suffer from infections – unborn babies can still get blood and nutrients from the mother without an amniotic sac, but they are at a higher risk of infections and other complications. Two weeks later, Alyssa returned to the hospital, where she stayed for the remainder of her pregnancy.
At 27 weeks gestation, a serious complication occurred when one of the babies’ placentas detached from the uterine wall. Alyssa and her doctors decided that she should give birth then by cesarean section.
Alyssa gave birth to twins, Summer and Grayson, who would both need respiratory support for months. Baby Summer had to be intubated in the delivery room and was placed on a ventilator. Six weeks later, she had to undergo surgery to close a hole in her heart.
Kelsey Camillo, a nurse who was part of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team that cared for the twins, said, “It takes a strong family to go through a NICU course like the Tran family did”.
“Twins with different levels of needs and levels of acuity make it tougher. There are so many days and nights, milestones reached and hurdles jumped. It’s a very long road, and it takes a real family bond to make it through. NICU parents are the strongest people I know”, she added.
Baby Grayson was able to go home from the NICU in January, while Summer remained there until early March.
Despite struggles, twins are “perfect”, mother says
The babies still have compromised immune systems, so the family has to take precautions to limit their exposure to other people and potential viruses, but they say having a “boring and quiet” life after the stay in the NICU is exactly what they need.
“We are hoping that when they turn two, their lungs will be a lot stronger and we can re-emerge into the world”, Alyssa said. “By next summer, we hope to be doing more normal family activities, but I think we will still wear masks in public for the foreseeable future”.
“It’s hard, but at the end of the day, we were in the hospital for eight months, so we are very cautious about who comes over and where we go”, the twins’ father, Nhanh, said. “Every day that they don’t get sick is a better day because they are growing healthier”.
Speaking to her twins, Alyssa said, “I want the twins to know that their entrance into this world was anything but traditional, but their story is perfect. You both are meant to be here”.
“Hopefully, you two will grow and forget about the difficult part of your beginning, but I do hope you never forget to stop and appreciate all the amazing individuals who touched your lives and helped care for you”, she added.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is wonderful to hear that this family is settling in well to life at home, despite the struggles that raising babies with compromised immune systems can bring”.
“These little twins show just how strong premature babies can be”.
“We hope their health continues to improve in the coming months and the family is able to experience a lovely summer together”.
