PORLOCK couple Adrian and Michelle Shopland are celebrating a double miracle and the end of a rollercoaster pregnancy which could have ended in tragedy. Identical twins Theo and Jake were born 11 weeks prematurely, weighing just 1lb 15 ounces and 2lbs 9 ounces respectively. But against all odds the tiny babies - whose heads were no bigger than tennis balls when born just over a fortnight ago and who measured just a touch longer than a 12-inch ruler - are doing well. The uncertainty of their survival or that they would even be delivered followed the discovery when 26- year-old Michelle was 13 weeks pregnant that they were suffering from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Once thought to be extremely rare but now believed to affect one in 1,000 pregnancies, the condition can range from mild to severe. For Michelle and Adrian's babies, it was about the worst it can be. Not only did Theo and Jake share the same placenta but also some of the same circulation. The result, an imbalanced flow of blood from one twin to another, meant that Jake thrived at the expense of Theo. While Michelle underwent endless ultrasound scans - latterly weekly and sometimes twice-weekly - and travelled to Bristol and Taunton for regular check- ups, doctors told the couple there was little that could be done other than to watch and wait. And they also faced the task of trying to keep life as normal as possible for their other children - Liam, eight, and three-year-old Ajay. "It was a huge worry at the back of your mind all the time," Adrian, a self employed painter and decorator, told the Free Press this week. "Each time we went for a scan and everything seemed all right we would be so relieved." But at 16 weeks Theo was found to have less than a third of the volume of amniotic fluid protecting him that Jake had, meaning he was almost 'nose-tight' against the wall of Michelle's uterus. At 24 weeks, Theo's blood flow was so poor that doctors were concerned about almost all his vital organs and he was discovered to be more than a fortnight behind his brother in development. However, the waiting game continued with doctors remaining convinced that staying inside their mother's womb for as long as possible would give the babies the best chance of survival. At 27 weeks, consultants at Musgrove believed they would have to deliver the twins after discovering the blood flow to Theo's brain was negligible. A second opinion was sought at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol and, again, it was decided to wait. However, when Michelle was just one day off the 29th week of pregnancy, medical teams concluded that Theo's life was in danger and the twins were delivered by Caesarian section within hours. "They told us that another 24 hours and it would be too late," said Michelle. Jake made his entrance into the world first, arriving in a theatre at Musgrove filled to bursting with at least 18 doctors, nurses and other experts. "Theo was born just three minutes later but it seemed like an eternity," said Adrian. "Both the babies cried quite quickly after they came out, which apparently is a good sign. "Theo was blue and at first wasn't moving. I didn't know what to think but then he whimpered like a cat and started to cry properly." The couple were only able to stroke the heads of their new babies before they were whisked away to the hospital's neo-natal intensive care unit. Michelle said: "It was a rollercoaster of emotions but at the same time we were so excited about having two lovely baby boys." While Adrian was able to see the new arrivals in their incubators almost immediately, Michelle, who had only had a brief glimpse, had to wait until the end of the day when she was fit enough to be taken to the neo-natal unit. Amazingly, despite obviously needing round the clock care and expertise, both boys were able to breathe on their own. However, just a week after their birth, Theo suddenly stopped breathing. "He was very, very poorly," said Michelle. "At one point he had five intravenous lines going into him. He underwent a lumbar puncture, an x- ray of his stomach and a blood transfusion." The couple have no doubt that without the swift action of the neo-natal team, Theo would have died. "It was only the fact that they acted so quickly that he pulled through," said Adrian. "We just cannot speak too highly of the staff at the unit. They are absolutely fantastic. "Everyone is brilliant, not only in the way that they care for the babies but the way they are with the families. "Nothing is ever too much trouble and we know that we can ring them at any time of the day and night. "We know the boys are in absolutely the best possible place." Theo's condition had improved by last weekend and both babies continue to make good progress. Jake is back up to his birth weight and Theo, despite his setback, is now an impressive 2lbs 5 ounces. Adrian and Michelle make a daily 60-mile round trip to visit the twins and are encouraged to help care for them, changing nappies and cleaning their mouths with cotton buds. Jake is even wearing his first babygrow. They know the boys could face several months in hospital, possibly until their due delivery date in the second week of January. "We know there will be setbacks but for the last seven months we haven't been sure whether we would have them at all," said Adrian. "Nothing will be as hard as that. We don't want sympathy from people - we want congratulations because we are so proud. "They are a miracle."
