In this August. 25, 2015 photo provided by KUSA-TV, expectant mother Amber McCullough is pictured during an interview with Colorado’s KUSA-TV, a day before she was to give birth to conjoined twins in Aurora, Colo.
Advertisement
McCullough doesn’t expect to have the chance to hold her daughters before doctors start the 8 to 12 hour surgery it will require to separate them. According to doctors, there are only a few chances of success.
Amber McCullough delivered the twin girls by Cesarean section on Wednesday, KARE-TV in Minneapolis reported.
Hannah and Olivia are conjoined twins who were set to be delivered by C-section at 32 weeks gestation.
McCullough told the television station Olivia is not expected to survive because of her heart. She had only a single ventricle and was missing valves.
Because of the physical differences and the way the twins are attached, doctors say they may be able to save Hannah using a surgery called an EXIT procedure – Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment – before cutting the umbilical cord.
“How do I look my son in the eye and tell him that I love him unconditionally if I don’t fight for my girls”, she said. “They should be intubated immediately, but the physicians will hold them up real fast and I Will get a peek”. However, she is very critical and very delicate. She has a 6-year-old son named Tristan from a previous relationship.
When she found out she was carrying conjoined twins, McCullough said decided to have the babies despite the high risks and advice to terminate the pregnancy.
Studies show that conjoined twins occur once in every 200,000 births. She went for several consultations at different hospitals that gave her conflicting opinions on whether or not to move forward with the pregnancy. They said their priority is to care for Hannah. “If they stay together, they’ll both pass”.
Advertisement
Olivia will certainly die, doctors said, due to a malformed heart. “With my girls lies a message of life, strength, beauty”. So what I would like is to appeal to as many people public for prayer. Her stepmother is there, caring for her and keeping her company.
