They’re small but mighty. Born at just 22 weeks, Keeley and Kambry Ewoldt are among the most ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠɪɴɢ twins to be born in the country.

Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs say babies have the best chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ if they’re born after 24 weeks of ɢᴇsᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. It’s been a roller-coaster ride for the twins’ parents, Jade and Wesley, who have been with the girls every day since they were born in late November.

Mom Jade Ewoldt was 16 weeks ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ when the girls were ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴛᴡɪɴ-ᴛᴡɪɴ ᴛʀᴀɴsғᴜsɪᴏɴ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ, a ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ in which identical twins share a placenta, according to the Courier. A lot of babies ᴅɪᴇ from the ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ, Klein said, and , at 17 weeks, the twins ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴇɴᴛ sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ in ᴜᴛᴇʀᴏ at Cincinnati Children’s Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ. Jade’s ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ in the family’s home four weeks after the sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ and she was  ʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ to the Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ in an  ᴀᴍʙᴜʟᴀɴᴄᴇ. Jade said:” I was so  ᴍᴀᴅ and upset and  sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ. I was just praying the girls  ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ be born at home. It’s overwhelming when you think about these things. So much goes into making sure these two little girls stay  ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ.” Their original due date was March 29. But, Sisters Keeley James and Kambry Lee Ewoldt were born 18 weeks ᴇᴀʀʟʏ, at just 22 weeks and one day ɢᴇsᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ on Nov. 24, placing them among the ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇsᴛ  sᴜʀᴠɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ babies born at the University of Iowa Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟs and Cʟɪɴɪᴄs

Her husband, Wesley Ewoldt said:” I’d never heard of babies being born this ᴇᴀʀʟʏ. We ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ have a lot of positive thoughts. They told us from the get-go this is going to be a roller-coaster ride.” Both babies were about the length of a dollar bill at birth, with Keeley weighing 1 pound and Kambry born at just 13.4 ounces. Dr. Jonathan Klein, ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ of the ⓃⒾⒸⓊ at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ, told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that Keeley and Kambry are ‘clᴇᴀʀʟʏ’ among the top four or five ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇsᴛ babies ever delivered at the Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ. Babies delivered so ᴇᴀʀʟʏ are often born with sᴋɪɴ ғʀᴀɢɪʟᴇ to the touch, ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ, and ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ ᴇʏᴇʟɪᴅs. Klein told that he is cautiously optimistic, taking it one day at a time until the twins are doing well one month after their due date. The babies remain in the Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ and are no ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴜʙᴀᴛᴇᴅ.

Now, Keeley is now just over four pounds and Kambry weighs nᴇᴀʀʟʏ four pounds. Jade said:” The girls love singing ‘Baby Shark,’ doing the Chicken Dance and painting pictures. They have their own personalities — Kambry is more of a tomboy and Keeley is very girly.” And the family are excited to celebrate their second birthdays.

Source: babynewss.com