Meet the gorgeous twin girls who were born this week after they defied the odds when their mum tested positive for coronavirus and ended up in a two week coma.
The twins’ mum Danielle Martin, 32, had been rushed to hospital after struggling to breathe when she was nine weeks pregnant with what she believed to be one baby.
She tested positive for coronavirus and entered an induced coma after her condition deteriorated, leaving dad Bryan Green, 32, fearing for the lives of both his partner and unborn child.
Thankfully, Danielle woke from her coma after 10 long days and rang Bryan with the incredible news that they were expecting twins.
She gave birth earlier this week [October 7] to two beautiful girls, Ava and Amelia, and the family are now happily recovering at their home in Shankill, Belfast.
Proud dad Bryan said: “It’s definitely a miracle for us. They’re our wee princesses.
“We’ve got three boys and two girls now – it’s going to be a mad house for sure!
“It’s amazing having them home, it’s obviously lifted the mood in the house.
“Everyone is happy, Danielle is buzzing.
“She had to give birth in the theatre just in case with her breathing and when she came back to the ward, the first thing she said was thank goodness it’s all over now and this is the end result!”
Mum of five Danielle had felt like she was suffocating at nine weeks pregnant and had been rushed to the hospital with suspected pneumonia on March 30.
She said: “At first, I just had a sore throat which led to a bad chest and I thought it must be a chest infections but I could barely breath after six days.
“It felt like I was suffocating so Bryan decided to call an ambulance who came within five minutes and took me away – I was terrified.
“I felt bad leaving my boys but I knew it was for the best – they did scans and diagnosed me with severe pneumonia.
“I was put on a ventilator which helped and I was managing – I was struggling to breath and talk – it was terrifying.”
The diagnosis changed when she tested positive for coronavirus and after taking a turn for the worse when her oxygen levels dropped, she was put into an induced coma.
Security guard Bryan recalls: “I didn’t even realise they were going to put her into a coma, to be honest with you.
“I talked to her the night before on the phone and she was eating toast in bed although she could barely speak and we thought she had severe pneumonia.
“She said she was going to try and get her head down and then the next morning I didn’t hear from her which I thought was strange.
“I rang the hospital to say I needed to get in touch with my partner and a consultant came on the phone to tell me they’d rushed her up to the theatre and put her in a coma.
“I was just speechless on the phone, I didn’t know what to say, it was madness.
“I hung the phone up and just broke down into tears. It was really scary.”
Doctors warned Bryan that it would be ‘highly unlikely’ for their unborn baby to survive Danielle’s battle with coronavirus and the expectant dad prepared for the worst.
Danielle eventually woke from her coma after 10 agonising days and rang Bryan with an incredible announcement.
He said: “The doctors rang me to say she was out of the coma and being moved to the ward which was amazing, it was such a relief.
“I got to speak to her on the phone and asked her about our baby straight away but nothing prepared me for when she said there’s two babies in there!
“I said don’t joke with me right now and she said no Bryan I’m serious, there’s two babies!
“I couldn’t believe it and I still can’t to this day, even though I’m looking at them in front of me right now sleeping, it’s unbelievable!
“There were tears all around that day – I was down my mum’s house and we were all crying.”
After a pregnancy of ups and downs, Danielle gave birth to two healthy twin girls, Ava and Amelia, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The sisters are now settling in at home with Danielle and Bryan and their three sons Jaiden, nine, Parker, three and Joshua, two.
Bryan said: “I’m loving having the girls home even though I haven’t been sleeping because I can’t stop staring at them!
“We’re just so happy that everything has turned out ok after such a rocky start and that our family is finally together happy and healthy at home.”