A couple have revealed their “miracle” conjoined twins have had their separation delayed after they caught Covid.
Hannah and Nick Bateson, from Toomebridge in Northern Ireland, found out their babies were conjoined twins during their 12-week scan.
Having conjoined twins is rare, only occuring in one in 2.5 million pregnancies.
The couple, both in their early 30s, welcomed Annabelle and Isabelle in March.
Speaking to ITV’s This Morning on Wednesday, the pair explained that an operation which would separate the babies was scheduled for this month but delayed after they caught coronavirus.
Mrs Bateson, an NHS support worker, told the programme: “They’ll be going for surgeries for the rest of their lives and we’re hoping their quality of life should be good, they’re going to fly through it. It’s going to be more challenging for us.”
The couple, who spoke of their struggles to conceive and underwent fertility treatment, said they were shocked when they found out they were having twins.
Explaining the moment they were told by the midwife the twins were conjoined, Mrs Bateson said: “The midwife kept it very very calm at that point she told us it was twins, but that we should see the consultant at the local hospital.
The sweetest little babies 🥺 We wish the Bateson family a happy and healthy road ahead ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fNyaOmseah
— This Morning (@thismorning) May 4, 2022
“We knew they were concerned but we were referred then to fetal medicine in Belfast.
“That’s when we were told. It never dawned on us that was going to be a possibility.
“As we were doing this scan, it dawned on both of us. Before the consultant even said and I asked, “Are they conjoined?” and he said, “Yes I think they are.”
The pair said they were “committed” to the pregnancy and spent the period doing research into the condition, but were dismayed to find there “wasn’t enough information” out there.
The couple were referred to London’s University College Hospital, where the babies were delivered by a specialist team in March.
Scans revealed Annabelle and Isabelle were joined from the chest to the pelvis and shared a bladder, bowel and a fused leg — but do not share a heart, which is crucial for successful separations.
They were transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, the leading specialist hospital in Europe for separating conjoined twins.
This is where operations to separate them and future treatment will take place.
Speaking of the pregnancy, Mrs Bateson continued: “The fact we got to 35 weeks itself was a miracle.
“We were trying to prepare and prepare for the worst case or very sick babies.
“The girls were born so well. Once those wee cries when they were delivered, it just changed the whole tone of it all. We weren’t prepared for it to go so well.”
Mr Bateson added: “Anyone else’s nightmare was our sort of dream, it was weird.”
The family are now fundraising to help them cover the costs of constantly travelling back and forth between Northern Ireland and London.
