Miracle mum Shaya shares Jack and Eloise's story:

One evening while sitting on the couch, I noticed a sudden gush of water. We hurried to the hospital, where after a few hours, we were informed that there were no signs of labour or babies coming and advised to monitor the situation at home. The following day, despite attempts to rest, I began feeling increasingly unwell. By evening, I experienced bleeding and abdominal pain, prompting me to rush back to the hospital as I knew something was not right. The doctors admitted me into the maternal ward, hoping they'd be able to stop labour and keep the babies in for as long as possible. However, Jack and Eloise had different plans. Just 8 hours after being admitted, they decided it was time to enter the world.

At just 28 weeks, Jack and Eloise were born. They were very tiny and had to stay in a special place called NICU to get better. Their arrival was unexpected. Despite a relatively non-complex pregnancy, an emergency C-section was needed to bring Jack and Eloise into the world. They just wanted to enter the world early, and no one knew why. They were so small, but their fighting spirit was mighty.

In the NICU, Jack and Eloise had lots of tubes and machines around them. They had to fight hard because they were so small. One of the toughest parts was not being able to hold Eloise for the first time until 8 days after she was born, and Jack had to wait 12 days. It was so tough not being able to hold our babies straight away.

Each day felt long and hard. It always felt like one step forward, two steps back. Jack was born with a grade 3 brain bleed, and everyone was unsure of what his future would look like. Additionally, Jack came home on oxygen for 6 weeks due to his Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease. Despite these hurdles, they never gave up. They got stronger with each passing day.

After spending 107 days in the hospital, Jack and Eloise were finally ready to go home. We were so excited and relieved to finally take our babies home and begin life as a family of 4.

Now, Jack and Eloise are almost 3 and are thriving. Both are running around, talking, and meeting all milestones for their actual age. Jack's brain bleed fully resolved which was remarkable. He now has hydrocephalus as a result from the bleed however this is monitored regularly and does not currently affect him in anyway. Their time in the NICU and Special Care is a special memory that taught them how strong they can be. We will always be grateful for the love and care they received during those early days.