Mother, 31, who REFUSED to terminate one of her unborn twins who had a rare blood vessel-sharing condition reveals they’re now thriving after she had risky laser surgery at 27 weeks
- Kloe Matthew, 31, from Suffolk faced losing one of her twins during pregnancy
- Her sons diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in the womb
- Told she could either cut one baby’s umbilical cord or risk losing them both
- She had laser surger and 18 months on her sons James and Michael are thriving
A mother revealed how she had ‘miracle’ twin boys after doctors urged her to cut one of her baby’s umbilical cord to save the other during pregnancy.
Kloe Matthew, 31, and her husband Michael, 35, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, were left with a hard choice to make when her twins were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she was 17 weeks pregnant.
The condition occurs when one foetus takes more of the nutrients – putting both their lives at risk.
The distraught pair were asked to choose – cut the cord of the smaller twin and give the bigger one a strong chance of survival, or undergo laser surgery – which could save them both – but put both of their lives in danger.
After just three hours of delibaration, Kloe went for the surgery, which was a success, but when she then went into premature labour at 27 weeks pregnant, the twins once more had to fight for their lives.
Miraculously, 18 months on, James and Michael Matthews are now thriving – and unsurprisingly, James and Michael have a very special bond.
Kloe Matthew, 31, and her husband Michael, 35, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, were left with a hard choice to make when her twins were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she was 17 weeks pregnant. 18-months-on from their birth, their sons James and Michael are thriving
Michael in hospital. Kloe said the children were smaller than her husband Michael’s hands when they were born last year
The twins are very close and Kloe and Michael are soaking up all the special moments they share with them
After trying for a baby for years and suffering a miscarriage, Kloe and Matthew were over the moon when they found out they were expecting twins.
But their joy turned to horror when they learned the boys were suffering from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
Knowing she had to give both of her sons a fighting chance, Kloe told doctors to go ahead with the laser surgery, despite her smaller twin being given just a 10 per cent chance of survival.
Kloe, said: ‘I’ve seen the bond from the start – they always want to be close to each other and can’t leave each other alone.
Both twins survived a risky laser surgery Kloe had during her pregnancy , which only has 10 per cent chance of success
‘It was never a choice to choose between my boys because we were given this chance for a reason.
‘To be asked to consider cutting the cord of my little Michael had to be the worst day of my life – it felt like we had been written off.
‘After everything we had already been through – I knew that they both deserved a chance to fight.
‘There was something that told me to give them both a chance and they needed to be together so I decided to save them both and go for the laser treatment.’
Michael in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being born prematurely in January 2021
Both twins were saved by Kloe’s decision to go through with the laser surgery. She said she wanted to give both of them a fighting chance
The mother-of-two with her twins in hospital while they were in the NICU before being allowed to return home
‘They could either cut the cord of the smallest twin to give the other the best chance of survival or receive a laser surgery through the bump and placenta which would save both boys – however there was only a 10% survival rate for smaller twin.
‘The boys had spent all that time together inside, it is only right that they should be together.’
Kloe found out her boys had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she had a scan at Rosie Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge early in her pregnancy.
She was immediately sent to King’s College Hospital in London and had just three hours to make the difficult decision about her unborn children’s lives.
When Kloe then went into premature labour at 27 weeks pregnant, the twins once more had to fight for their lives
Special day! Father-of-two Michael got to bring both his boys home after several months spent in hospital
Kloe revealed the twins share a special bond and don’t like to be separated and won’t sleep without each other
Kloe said: ‘I had just three hours to make the decision and an hour later I was in surgery to save them both.
‘After the surgery, I was very unwell but I knew I had made the right decision.
‘A lot of people go into labour 10-12 weeks after the surgery and my boys had done it 10 weeks to the day after the procedure.
‘I was really unwell and thought I had covid because I woke up all fluey, but it was actually the boys on their way.
‘I wasn’t feeling well and on top of that I was worrying about my boys because they were coming out so early.’
The happy couple were given just three hours to seal the fate of their boys when Kloe was 17 weeks pregnant
The twins are now thriving. Doting mother Kloe said the twins were each other’s best friends since birth
After going through several complications following their birth, the twins are now developing well
The adorable boys, James and Michael Matthews who born prematurely at just 27 weeks and weighed only 1.6lbs and 2.6lbs spent 16-weeks fighting for their lives in intensive care on the 28th January last year.
Khloe said: ‘I was so poorly myself, I didn’t get to see my boys for 14 hours after they were taken to the NICU.
‘It was such an awful time – I didn’t know if they were going to survive and I just wanted to meet my babies.
‘It was amazing to see them but absolutely terrifying at the same time.
Just two years ago ,the happy couple couldn’t have imagined bringing both their boys home and were facing bleak odds
Stroller for two! Kloe said she enjoys watching the twins’s relationship blossom as they are starting to ‘tease’ each other
Cheeky chappies! The twins are letting their mischievous personalities shine through, Kloe said
‘James weighed just 2lb 6oz and my little Michael was only 1lb 6oz.
‘They were so tiny, they could fit into my hands but little Michael didn’t even fit in his Dad’s hand.
‘They’ve had the closest bond since – one won’t sleep without the other in the room now!
‘Their relationship is like no other, although I can see them starting to enjoy teasing each other now.
After a long four months fighting for their lives in hospital with various infections and complications, the adorable twins were finally able to come home for the first time.
The mother-of-two said she never imagined she’d get to see the boys crawling or being ‘mischevious’
Kloe and Michael were overjoyed that their miracle twins made it through together despite all odds against them
Kloe and Michael were overjoyed that their miracle twins made it through together despite all odds against them.
A year later, the couple got married in a ceremony that the now strong and healthy twins participated in.
Kloe added: ‘To have my boys there at our wedding in their little tuxedos really cemented everything after we had been through so much.
‘Now the boys have just had their first birthday and to think we never thought we would get to seeing them crawling and being mischievous.
‘They’re best of friends and they’ve been through so much together already I’m excited to see how their bond will develop.’
WHAT IS TWIN-TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME?
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare but serious condition that can occur in identical pregnancies when twins share a placenta.
Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies.
One twin then becomes dehydrated, which affects its growth.
The other develops high blood pressure and produces too much urine.
This leads to an enlarged bladder and excessive amounts of amniotic fluid, which can put a strain on the twin’s heart, leading to heart failure.
Without treatment, TTTS can be fatal for both twins.
The condition occurs in about around 15 per cent of identical twins who share a placenta, according to the charity Tamba.
Around 300 twins die from the condition every year in the UK, while 6,000 babies are affected annually in the US.
Draining excess amniotic fluid can help to improve blood flow.
If this is not enough, laser surgery is used to seal shut abnormal blood vessels and permanently disconnect them.
The surgeon then drains excess fluid.
Even when treated successfully, most TTTS babies are born premature.
However, the majority go on to have long, healthy lives.
Source: Cincinnati Children’s hospital
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