A mother has shared the story of her traumatic birth after one of her twins was born unable to swallow.
Lauren McGarry gave birth to twins Sonny and James prematurely during an emergency C-section after doctors told her and husband James that Sonny was carrying too much fluid.
The 34-year-old mother from Scotland told the Daily Record : "As soon as James was born I heard him cry, but when Sonny came out he didn't and they had to resuscitate him. It was absolutely terrifying."
Doctors suspected the babies had 'Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome' (TTTS) meaning it was unlikely both twins would survive and kept taking scans to monitor them both.
But during a scan doctors noticed Sonny's fluid levels were dangerously high and she had to have the baby there and then.
She said: "We were both terrified. I just remember laying on the bed, but I was behind a curtain, but James could see all the staff in the room and he said there were dozens and dozens of them. I'm glad I couldn't see because I was already terrified."
After trying to fit both babies with feeding tubes they realised Sonny had been born with a rare disorder called OA/TOF which meant he was unable to swallow.
A baby with Oesophageal atresia and Tracheo-oesophageal fistula (OA/TOF) has a gap in his or her oesophagus which mens they are unable to swallow saliva or milk.
Lauren said: "We had never heard of it so we were just shocked and scared and obviously confused. The doctors were saying 'he can't swallow' and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I mean, how can you not swallow? It was devastating."
The couple were then devastated after being told Sonny would have to undergo surgery at just two days old and the family were transferred to Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Sonny had a six-hour surgery to repair his oesophagus.
Lauren said it was the 'most horrendous' six hours waiting for the operation to finish.
Thankfully his operation was successful but the effects of OA/TOF will impact Sonny for the rest of his life.
"We feel very grateful that the surgery was successful, but we also know that Sonny will have to be careful for the rest of his life," she added.
"He will always be more susceptible to chest infections, reflux and coughs. He will always have to watch what he eats because although his oesophagus is now joined, it will always be narrow at that repair, so he will be more susceptible to choking.
"It is very scary as parents because we are currently weaning the boys and we have to be incredibly careful about what we give him to eat."
Now nine-months on fro the birth, Lauren hopes that by sharing her story it will encourage more research into the condition, which affects just one in 3,500 births.
She said: "This would have meant a much less traumatic experience for me and I would have been able to give birth in a hospital equipped to deal with it. I hope by sharing Sonny's story it means other families might have a less traumatic time than we did."
Lauren says despite everything he had been through Sonny is always smiling and loves playing with his brother James and big sister Isla.
