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Nadia Breen

Co Antrim 'miracle' conjoined twins are one in 2.5 million

'Miracle' conjoined twins from Co Antrim are one in just 2.5million.

Babies Annabelle and Isabelle Bateson were born safely just eight weeks ago.

Proud parents Hannah and Dan appeared on This Morning on Wednesday to speak to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. They have been together for 14 years, married for six and explained how the road to becoming parents was quite tough.

Read more: Family of NI girl who died aged 11 urges others to seek help

Their 'miracle' daughters are attached from the chest to the pelvis and share a bladder, bowel and a fused leg - but have separate hearts.

Co Antrim mum Hannah said: "It was a very long journey but absolutely worth it. We tried for quite a few years to have [a baby], I was very overweight as well which didn't help so we couldn't get any treatment until I lost weight, which I did.

"As soon as we started treatment, our first cycle, we conceived the girls."

She added: “We went for an early scan and there was one heartbeat, and then we got the big shock that it was twins and that we had to see the consultant at the local hospital. Then as we saw another scan it dawned on us and I said, ‘are they conjoined?’, and he said ‘yes, I think they are’."

Annabelle and Isabelle Bateson (ITV)

Hannah continued: “It was the most strange first pregnancy. We felt in limbo...

"We hoped for the best. They were so determined and the fact we got to 35 weeks in itself was a miracle. We were preparing for the worst case [scenario] or very sick babies, but surprisingly, the girls were born so well. Once we heard those cries in delivery it just changed the whole tone. We weren’t prepared for it to go so well.

“I think a lot of it will only be discovered during surgery, we just have to have faith. But they’ve fought so hard to be here so far that it will go well, we just have to have that faith..."

The Bateson family (ITV)

She explained how "they are very determined wee girls".

"It’ll be very long and different challenges for them both, and they will probably be going - for surgeries for most of their lives, but we’re hoping that their quality of life should be good.

"I think they will fly through it and it’ll be more challenging for us!

"We said before the girls were born, we were sitting in Great Ormond Street, and we said, 'It is a very scary place to be thinking you are going to have sick children, but if we are coming back here for the next 18 years, it means the girls have survived'.

"So our whole perspective has shifted," Hannah added.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITV Hub

Read more: NI dad on his family's heartbreak as daughter died four hours after birth

Read more: Mum thanks 'her wee angels' who saved her life after heart attack

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