Having twins is becoming more common, with a 72 percent increase from 1980 to 2018, but it’s still not very common. About 33 out of every 1,000 births are twins.
Identical twins are even rarer, happening in about three or four out of every 1,000 births.
When Savannah Combs, who is 23 years old, found out she was going to have twins, she was really happy. But then she learned something else unusual – both babies had Down syndrome.
It was emotional news for Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman. They knew some people might judge them or their babies because of their condition.
But for Savannah, that’s what makes her babies even more special.
“What they have is very rare, but they are my little gems,” she told News4JAX.
Credit / Mckenll Kennadi Ackerman – Facebook
Savannah, from Middleburg, Florida, shared her journey after giving birth to her daughters Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman on TikTok, where they became popular.
In one of her videos, Savannah mentioned that she was advised to terminate her pregnancy because her babies might not survive.
She chose to keep them and give them a chance to live.
“Every time they were alive during a prenatal appointment was a blessing for me,” Savannah explained.
When Savannah found out both of her daughters had Down syndrome, her husband was away at boot camp.
She was 29 weeks pregnant when she went to the hospital and gave birth to the twin girls, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, on May 12, 2021.
Because they were born two months early, the twins had to stay in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for several weeks before they could go home.
“They’re called mono di twins, meaning that they had their own sacs, but they shared the same placenta, meaning that they were going to be identical,” she said.
“Mo di twins as it is, it’s like very rare. And then you throw Down syndrome on top of it, it’s like one in 2 million.”
Despite their rare condition, Savannah said they are just like any other child.
“They have feelings. They have a beating heart. They know how to talk. They know how to do things you do. They will get there,” she said.
“Like I said, it may be a step behind but they’re going to do it. I’ve learned these kids are feisty little things and happy little things.”
As Savannah’s daughters reach new milestones, she happily shares their updates on TikTok.
“I’m going to teach them that they’re just like anyone else and they can achieve anything they set their minds to.”
Despite this positivity, some people have criticized Savannah and her family online. The young mom has had to respond to insensitive comments from users on social media.
Recently, someone wrote, “I wouldn’t want those babies; if mine came out like that, they would be straight up for adoption,” to Savannah.
But Savannah had a perfect response, which she posted on Facebook.
“I told them, ‘It’s a good thing they weren’t born to you and were born to me. God knew what he was doing by giving these babies to the right parents who would love them unconditionally.’”
Beautiful girls. Anyone who says otherwise is just plain mean. These individuals are the most precious and loving people out there! Please share this heartwarming story on Facebook.