Miracle triplets survive (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Miracle triplets survive

9:43am Monday 14th July 2008 in Swindon

A COUPLE who were told their premature triplets stood little chance of survival are about to welcome home the first of their miracle babies.

Amina and Maher Amawi, of Cumberland Road, Old Walcot, Swindon, went through six rounds of IVF fertility treatment in seven years before Amina finally fell pregnant last October.

But she unexpectedly went into labour while visiting her sister in Luton in March and the triplets were born at 24 weeks, weighing between 1lbs 4ozs and 1lb 8ozs.

Doctors warned the couple the babies were unlikely to live for more than a few hours and, even if they did, they would all be severely disabled.

Now, against all the odds, the first of the children - Layla, who now weighs 5lb 12ozs - is about to be discharged from Great Western Hospital.

And her siblings, brother Zayn and sister Tara, are likely to follow within weeks.

Amina, 31, said: "We know we have got our work cut out, but we are so excited for our babies to come home and for us to finally be a family.

"Nothing much has seemed real for the past few months. We've been on an emotional rollercoaster I can't even begin to describe.

"But the scariest parts are hopefully over now, and we have our children. We are determined to be the best parents we can be."

Maher, 36, a BT engineer, added: "The biggest shock was the size of them when they were born. Tara was the smallest - her head was the size of an egg and her whole body fitted into the palm of my hand.

"The first 10 days were the most critical and we had to take things hour by hour, then day by day, then week by week.

"We were elated, but it was terrifying at the same time."

A low point came when Zayn suffered a severe bleed on both sides of his brain at three days old. Medics said he was badly brain damaged, that he would never be able to walk and would probably be blind.

They recommended switching off his life support machine, but Amina and Maher refused.

"Call it a mother's instinct, but I believe he will be fine. Yes, he will have issues, and he will never be 100 per cent.

"But I am staying positive. An eye doctor has already told us he has some sight, and he can grip our fingers. We have even seen him holding up his own head."

In their four months of life, all three babies have undergone heart operations to close a valve. Zayn has also had a device fitted in his skull to drain off fluid.

Layla and Tara will both need oxygen for a while after coming home, and are expected to develop more slowly than full-term babies. Otherwise, no other health problems have yet been detected.

"Only time will tell if they have any other problems, but they have already overcome so much to be here," said Amina.

"They are real fighters. We can't wait for them to come home."