A twin saved her sister's life by sending out distress signals prompting doctors to deliver them - and now they are both thriving.
Poppy McBride, now three, forced doctors to deliver her and her twin, Winnie, when her heart rate began to waver on the monitor at when her mum was 31 weeks pregnant.
Despite being the smaller of the twins at 1lb 11oz, Poppy was perfectly healthy, and nothing was wrong with her heart.
It was her sister, Winnie - born weighing 3lbs 8oz - who doctors hadn't been concerned about during the pregnancy who was born with underdeveloped lungs and whisked to the intensive care unit.
Mum Leah McBride, 28, was told by doctors that Poppy saved her sister's life and if they had waited any longer to deliver the twins, Winnie would not have made it.
Leah and her husband, Austin, 27, a crane mechanic, found out at 21 weeks that their girls had twin-to-twin transfusion - where there is an imbalance of blood flow that causes one baby to become a donor and the other a recipient of all nutrients.
Leah was advised to terminate baby B - Poppy - to give baby A - Winnie - a better chance of survival.
Despite being told there was an unlikely chance of survival for either baby, Leah had a successful surgery to correct the blood-sharing imbalance and managed to make it to 31 weeks and five days before delivering the twins.
Winnie only just managed to pull through and had to have surgery at 14 days old to relieve a build-up of fluid on her brain before then making a miraculous recovery.
Poppy remained healthy but had to stay in hospital to gain weight before she was able to head home.
Winnie was discharged after 52 days, and Poppy followed two days later and the twins are now the best of friends and thriving.
Leah, a stay-at-home mum, from Lake Jackson, Texas, US, said: "Our doctors told u: 'I think your tiny twin saved her sister's life.'
"Poppy's heart rate had been all over the place, so they had to deliver but when she was born, she completely fine.
"They think she was sending out distress signals because she knew her sister wouldn't survive if they weren't delivered then.
"Poppy is still much smaller.
"I love having a big and little. They are so close - it's sweet."
Now both twins have nothing wrong with them, apart from Winnie having to wear glasses, and the best of friends.
"They are as smart as can be," Leah said.
"Winnie is smarter than average. She can read books from memory at three.
"I tried to move their beds apart recently and they weren't having it.
"They are both amazing."
