by You Will Meilt With Twins Born ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴀɴᴅs Are Now 2 Years Old
Two years ago the Internet let out a collective ’awwww’ at the now iconic photo of these twin sisters ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴀɴᴅs at the moment of their ᴍɪʀᴀᴄᴜʟᴏᴜs birth.
Jenna and Jillian Thistlethwaite are ᴍᴏɴᴏᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ twins — a ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ so rare that it only affects 1 in 10,000 pregnancies — and shared the same ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ sᴀᴄ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ʙʏ ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ on May 9, 2014. Complications can easily arise with two babies and two umbilical cords sʜᴀʀɪɴɢ the same space, and so their mother Sarah Thistlethwaite spent 57 days prior to the girls’ birth on bed rest, keeping herself busy by ᴋɴɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜᴇs Fᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇᴇɴʟʏ ᴀɴᴛɪᴄɪᴘᴀᴛᴇᴅ new babies.
The twins are now two years old, and whilst they have developed very distinct personalities — Jillian is the Fᴇᴀʀʟᴇss one, whilst Jenna is more cautious — they’re still every bit as close as the day they were born.
The incredible bond between twins is well documented, but these sisters share something unique and special. Thistlethwaite describes how if they are separated even for a short period of time, such as when she and her husband take one each with them on different errands, they both get really upset and ask for each other.
The girls have their mischievous moments just like any siblings, and their parents have to buy two of everything to ᴍɪɴɪᴍɪᴢᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ, but both girls share a love of swimming and being outside.
One thing is for sure: these girls will always know the joy of growing up with a ready-made best friend, and they will have a pretty awesome story to tell at dinner parties when they grow up
