'Miracle' Twins Born 24 Days Apart Go Home
Alexandre and Ronaldo Antunes are home after months in the hospital.
— -- A pair of “miracle” twins born 24 days apart are home after spending months in the hospital.
Alexandre and Ronaldo Antunes were born 24 days apart after their mother Lindalva Pinheiro da Silva went into premature labor at just 24 weeks. Due to their early delivery, both babies remained in the hospital for weeks until they were healthy enough to go home, including Ronaldo, who spent an extra 24 days in the womb.
“We’re so excited we don’t even know what to do,” Silva told ABC News affiliate WCVB-TV in Boston. “We have our family, it’s like starting now.”
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The family’s ordeal started in March when da Silva’s water broke 16 weeks early. Doctors tried stopping stop her labor but Alexandre was born four days later, putting him at risk of several health problems, including breathing and vision difficulties.
An estimated 50 percent of infants born at 24 weeks don’t survive and those that do are at risk for complications. As doctors treated Alexandre, they were able to keep da Silva from delivering her other son Ronaldo for 24 days, allowing him to develop further and gain more weight.
“They’re my miracle babies,” da Silva said of her growing boys. “Ronaldo because he stayed inside and Alexandre because he’s a survivor.”
Da Silva got one extra surprise before she left the hospital. Her boyfriend, Ronaldo Antune, popped the question by dressing their sons in specialized outfits that read “Mom will you ... marry dad?”