The bond between twins is something so special – especially for these two adorable girls.
Even though the strength of that bond is well documented and well known, no one knew just how strong the bond shared by twin sisters Jenna and Jillian would be.
These adorable twins were born, to the surprise of their parents and the delivery team, holding hands! Not only that, but they refused to relinquish their grip.
On Mother’s Day, Sarah Thistlethwaite gave birth to twins by Caesarean section after a high-risk pregnancy. Jenna and Jillian Thistlethwaite were born clutching each other, holding hands in one of the cutest moments ever.
Actually, what makes these twins special is that they’re considered to be mono-mono twins; that means they’re both monozygotic (identical, coming from the same egg) and monoamniotic (they shared the same sack and placenta inside their mother’s womb).
“We were in shock – we sat there and laughed and then cried and then we would laugh again,” Sarah said.
Dr. Mancuso, director of the fetal treatment center at Akron Children’s Hospital, explains:
“It’s the rarest form of twinning and it carries the most risk.”
“Because they’re sharing the same amniotic sac, their umbilical cords can become tangled as they’re growing and moving which can cut off blood supply to one or both twins.”
This kind of pregnancy is particularly rare and comes with a hugely increased risk of complications. Until these twins reached 24 weeks they are only given a 50 percent chance of survival.
Sarah spent 57 days on bed rest to minimize the risks of her pregnancy. Thankfully, she gave birth to these healthy little girls via Caesarean section at just 33 weeks!
Each day Sarah not only feels blessed that her two girls arrived into this world safely, but she is also amazed by how close their bond is. Now two years old, Jenna and Jillian have formed the type of sibling relationship that so many parents wish their children could have.
“Sometimes if my husband goes to the store, he’ll take one twin and I’ll keep the other,” Thistlethwaite said. “When that happens, they both get really upset and ask for each other. They’re definitely really close. They’re like two peas in a pod.”
“If one twin is crying, the other will try to find a way to comfort her, like going to find a pacifier or rubbing the other’s back or offering a hug … They always take care of each other.”
So it’s no surprise that they bonded in a special way—to the point of being born holding hands. Now that’s really awesome. We’re not sure what the chances are of having a mono-mono twin birth where the babies are holding hands, but we’re guessing it’s pretty rare.
Watch the rare story of the twins: AkronChildren/Youtube
Sources: OpposingViews, People, Twin Pregnancy and Beyond
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