It just meant so much that our twins could stay together

WANDERING about, inquisitive looks on their faces George and Esme Calloway look like any other toddlers. But the healthy appearance of the two-year-old twins is all the more remarkable because they were born nine weeks early, weighing little more than 2lbs.

The youngsters were delivered early after mum, Gill, developed the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia and one of the placentas was not working properly, which was hampering George's growth.

Her blood pressure kept rising and when Gill became very ill the decision was taken for the babies to be delivered early, to minimise the risk to all three of them.

The twins spent six weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, initially being ventilated and fed through a tube. They did not suffer other complications but simply needed the support to grow so that they were healthy enough to leave the unit for their Fishponds home – three weeks before they were due to be born.

George and Esme, who turned two last month, have now caught up with other youngsters their age, although they are a little smaller.

"They have caught up and are doing the same things as other children the same age now," Gill, 37, said. She and husband Alan were determined to give something back for the care the twins they received while they were in the St Michael's NICU and started their own fundraising drive.

Through cake sales, garage sales, a fundraising CD and gigs with Alan's band, The Raize, the family has raised almost £5,000 for the Cots for Tots Appeal.

He came up with the song Hot Cot about the journey the couple went on from before the twins were born and through their time in hospital.

Alan, 36, said people they knew had continued to raise money for the Cots for Tots Appeal.

"There is still money coming in, in dribs and drabs, and it seems to have trickled into other people who have wanted to support it. It has been brilliant," he said.

Gill said: "Just to be able to keep children in the same hospital with these cots is great. We knew parents with twins who were moving between hospitals in the region. I just could not imagine what that would have been like," Gill said.

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