Twins Etta and Elizabeth Kearns-Turner were born the same size as a bottle of Fanta soda. Elizabeth weighed a mere 2 pounds, 11 ounces, and Etta was even smaller at 2 pounds, 10 ounces. Together, the tiny sisters logged a staggering 1,000 hours in intensive care before finally getting to go home.
Their mother went into labor nine weeks before her projected due date. The girls’ lungs had not developed properly before their birth, and their stay in a neonatal intensive care unit lasted a long six weeks according to The Sun.
Their devoted parents, Suzy and Mick, longed to have the newborns at home in Blackburn, England, and the extended hospital stay wore on the entire family. When they were finally sprung from the hospital, it was actually three weeks before their due date. Suzy, now a proud mother of four, said to the British tabloid:
“When the twins were born, they were so tiny they could fit into our hands. It was terrifying not being able to bring them home. At one point I thought I was going to lose Etta.
“I remember sitting with them one day, drinking a bottle of Fanta. I realized that they were the size of my bottle. It isn’t until you have a comparison that you realize just how tiny they are. But thanks to the wonderful staff in NICU, we can finally be a family at home.”
According to Suzy, she had anxiety as soon as she learned she was carrying twins. She feared complications and had convinced herself they would be born too soon. An overwhelming fear of a premature birth caused her to go out to buy smaller clothing.
She said to The Sun, “I kept telling my husband they’d end up in there. I just knew something would go wrong, but he thought I was overreacting.”
The morning after her shopping trip, she woke with powerful contractions and told Mick it was time to head to the hospital. Not long after their arrival, they were told that an emergency cesarean section was in order.
Elizabeth was first to enter the world, and Etta right behind her. Immediately, the girls were taken to intensive care, and Suzy was not allowed to hold them. Eventually, the small twins gained their strength and were then given the clearance to go home. Of course, Suzy was thrilled.
“When I found out we could all be together I just cried. I was so happy to bring them home,”she said.
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