Kelsea and Willow's Tractor Run

Hear from mum, Sally, about how a rare pregnancy condition meant her twin girls had only a 10% chance of survival. 7 months on, Kelsea and Willow are thriving, and the family have been motivated to fundraise for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity through a Tractor Run, after the care they experienced throughout Sally’s Pregnancy.

What is Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome?

“Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a rare pregnancy condition which can affect about 10-15% of identical twins who share a placenta. TTTS occurs in pregnancies where twins share one placenta and a network of blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients essential for development in the womb. Sometimes the vessel connections within the placenta are not evenly dispensed and there is an imbalance in the blood exchange between the twins.

One twin — the donor twin — gives away more blood than it receives in return and runs the risk of malnourishment and organ failure. Usually, the recipient twin receives too much blood and is susceptible to overwork of the heart and can lead to cardiac failure. There are approximately 400 cases of TTTS in the UK each year.

Sally’s Pregnancy

I had such a crazy pregnancy, to be honest I am still trying to get my head round it. It was such a scary time, and we are forever grateful for everything that was done to save our twins. 

In December 2023, I was transferred from Aberdeen Maternity Hospital to Glasgow, where Dr Janice Gibson at the Foetal Medicine Department confirmed we had stage 4 TTTS, the last stage before death. We were told the babies were extremely poorly and were both going into heart failure. There was no fluid around twin 2 and no bladder could be found. She was really small. Twin 1 had a lot of fluid around her and was noticeably much larger than her sister.

After discussing possible options with Dr Gibson, we decided to go ahead with laser ablation. This is a treatment for TTTS whereby a laser is inserted into the uterus and is used to seal off some of the blood vessels in the placenta so that both babies receive a more equal supply of blood. This came with a lot of potential risks and complications such as preterm delivery, rupture of membranes and complications for the babies.

After the laser surgery, the excess amniotic fluid is removed so that both babies have an equal volume. Without any treatment there was only a 10% chance of both twins surviving. After laser ablation there was a 75% chance of one twin surviving, 45% of both surviving. Thankfully, the laser ablation was successful.”

“The weeks following the surgery were scary. We didn't know what to expect. We didn't know if things would continue to improve or if the excess fluid would return.”

Sally, Willow and Kelsea's mum

“Thankfully everything stayed okay, and our twins Kelsea and Willow were born at 32+5 weeks weighing 3lb6 and 3lb4. They needed very little help; they were breathing on their own and were tube fed for the first 4 weeks. They were looked after in NICU for 4 weeks in total. Kelsea and Willow stayed in intensive care for 10 days, then were then moved to the special care unit for the remainder of their stay.”

“They are now 7 months old, and they continue to amaze us every day. They truly are miracles!”

Sally, Willow and Kelsea's Mum

Kelsea and Willow’s Tractor Run

After experiencing such great care from Dr Gibson and the rest of the Foetal Medicine team, Sally and her family wanted to express their thanks, and give back. On August 17th, the family held a charity Tractor Run.

“We chose to raise money for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity as they contribute towards the funding of foetal medicine research.”

Sally, willow and Kelsea's mum

“We live on a Croft and a lot of the locals, and my partner, enjoy the charity Tractor Runs arranged here so we thought we would organise one ourselves. The fundraiser was amazing. 43 tractors attended and loads of people came to watch and take photos and videos. Our total that we raised for each charity (the other charity being Neonatal Aberdeen) was £2,075, which is way more than we even expected to be able to raise.”