Rare twins born holding hands, just in time for Mother's Day

Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite made their entrance into this world holding hands. The Ohio twins were born Friday at Akron General Medical Center after having spent the past nine months sharing the same amniotic sac and placenta, The Associated Press reports. Monoamniotic, or "mono mono" twins, are rare, occurring in roughly 1 out of every 10,000 pregnancies.

The babies were put on ventilators shortly after birth, but were taken off of them Sunday when doctors established that they could breathe well on their own. Jenna, who weighs 4 pounds, 2 ounces, and Jillian, who came in at 3 pounds, 13 ounces, will remain in the hospital for two to four more weeks before heading home. "It's just hard to put into words how amazing it feels to know the girls are OK," their mother, Sarah Thistlethwaite, told The Associated Press. "It's great to know that they're doing so well, and being able to hold them." She added that having these new, healthy babies was "the best Mother's Day present ever."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up