AUSTRALIA: TWINS BORN ON EASTER- 16 HOURS APART

THENEWS.COM.AU REPORT: THESE WA twins, born 16 hours apart after their mother Leanne Stokes endured a 12-day labour, will fly to Esperance today for their first Easter at home as a family.

Esther and Isaac Hoddy were born so long apart after a medical mystery interrupted the birth.

On a trip to Perth in February, Ms Stokes' waters broke eight weeks early and she was taken to King Edward Memorial Hospital.Easter Twins

HOME: Leanne Stokes is looking forward to her first Easter at home with twins Esther and Isaac Hoddy. Picture: Richard Hatherly Source: PerthNow

To give the babies the best chance of survival, doctors held off the birth for 12 days, with 41-year-old Ms Stokes in and out of labour until the twins could wait no more.

"Eventually, they couldn't stop the labour," said Ms Stokes, who is also a grandmother. "Esther was born naturally, but then the cervix just shut up and the doctors were baffled.

"There was no explanation, and they're now writing a medical article about it.

"Everything went quiet and that's when I knew something was wrong. The next thing they were whipping me up to theatre and that's when I fell apart."

Surgeons performed a caesarean to rescue Isaac, who was trapped in the womb.

The operation was difficult, but successful, and Isaac joined his twin sister in intensive care.

After battling breathing difficulties for the first weeks of their lives, the twins have recovered and are flying home to Esperance today.

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