Mother's Day Gift: Rare Mono Mono Twins Born Holding Hands.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Twin girls born with a rare condition in Ohio were breathing on their own and their mom said she and her husband were able to hold them on Mother's Day.

Ohio mom Sarah Thistlewhistle got a special early Mother’s Day gift when her rare identical “mono mono” twins were born healthy on Friday.

Sarah Thistlethwaite holds her twin daughters, Jenna and Jillian, after her delivery of the monoamniotic twin girls at Akron General Hospital in Akron, Ohio.Ed Suba Jr. | Akron Beacon Journal via The Associated Press.

Sarah Thistlethwaite said babies Jillian and Jenna were removed from ventilators Sunday afternoon after they were able to breathe comfortably. She told The Associated Press that she and her husband Bill both held them for a while on Mother's Day.

"It's just hard to put into words how amazing it feels to know the girls are OK," she said. "It's great to know that they're doing so well, and being able to hold them."


They were born Friday at Akron General Medical Center, grasping each other's hands when doctors lifted them up for their parents to see after delivery.

Thistlethwaite told the Akron Beacon Journal that was "the best Mother's Day present ever."
"They're already best friends," said Thistlethwaite, 32. "I can't believe they were holding hands. That's amazing."

Jenna was born first at 4 pounds, 2 ounces and 17 inches, with Jillian following 48 seconds later at 3 pounds, 13 ounces and 17.5 inches.

They were moved temporarily to Akron Children's Hospital because they needed breathing assistance. Thistlethwaite expects to be released from Akron General on Tuesday, while the girls will remain in the hospital two to four weeks.


Sometimes the girls would kick the monitors off.
"I don't know what they're doing to each other," Sarah said jokingly of her "sweet girls."