Mother Katie Johnson, was told she was pregnant with triplets. But babies are having growth problems, and are life-threatening, while in the womb. She was recommended by doctors to amputate one or two children to save the remaining life for one baby. But she did not hatch, and determined to give all three children a chance to survive and develop naturally. The triplets Oliver, Aurelia and Oscar are too young to know that one or two of them might not be here without their motherly instincts.
It was a choice that was fruitful. Despite Oliver’s little weight of 2 lbs. 15 oz. compared to his identical twin Oscar’s 4 lbs., all three babies were delivered successfully. The different Aurelia weighs 3 lbs. 15 oz. They had recently celebrated their first Christmas together after being released from the hospital after spending a month there.
At a 12-week ultrasound, Mrs. Johnson, 32, who works in commercial real estate and lives in London with her husband Patrick, 35, was informed that the triplets were growing and that the placenta was unevenly divided, developmental delay. “There’s a risk to all of them,” she said. ‘Oliver is 25% smaller than his brother and the bloodline doesn’t reach him normally. If Oliver may not make it, so can Oscar. But we are unable to abort one or two children. All of them need to have a chance to live.
The trio was carefully observed by doctors at King’s College Hospital during the pregnancy. ‘It’s hard when they are scanned every week and Oliver’s condition isn’t improving,’ said Mrs. Johnson. At 28 weeks pregnant, we were told that the babies had stopped growing completely. The doctors said that, as long as the blood flow continued to him. they will still give birth to children in the womb.
Three weeks after re-examination, the doctors found that the blood flow to Oliver had stopped and they ordered the babies to be taken out. Due to the lack of weeks, the doctors had to caesarean section and did not use the prescribed medicine to give birth. Johnson said: ‘so happy and relieved that the children were born safely’. The babies were getting better day by day and were able to go home after four weeks of follow-up. They are 11 weeks old now and Mrs Johnson said: ‘They have done a great job; We are very proud of them. Oliver has gained weight so now he’s catching up with his brother. Doctors expect the differences to equalize at some point
For a successful birth, it is impossible not to mention the medical staff at King’s University Hospital. They have been very supportive of us, without them we are not sure we would have succeeded in picking up these children.
‘We feel incredibly lucky that all three are alive and here with us for their first Christmas. That is an amazing gift.
