Twins battling a rare condition underwent life-saving surgery in the womb, defying a five per cent chance of survival.
Isla and Jemima, from Evesham, Worcestershire, were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which caused an imbalance in the blood they each received.
Their mother, Tabitha Rean, 26, underwent surgery at 18 weeks pregnant - without it, doctors warned that there was a 90 to 95 per cent chance they would die.
Even with surgery, there was just a 50 per cent chance both twins would survive, Mrs Rean and her husband, Ben Rean, 27, were devastated to hear.
But thankfully, the surgery was a success and at 29 weeks pregnant, Mrs Rean gave birth to both twins.
Despite being 11 weeks premature and weighing less than 6lbs between them, they were home at six weeks old, and have now reached one year of age.
Twins Isla (left) and Jemima Rean (right), aged just 7-days-old in the image, had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and a five per cent chance of survival
The twins, from Evesham in Worcestershire, had to be operated on in their mother Tabitha Rean's womb. The 26-year-old and her husband Ben Rean, 27, found out the devastating news at the 18 week scan. Pictured, now one year old
Even with surgery, there was just a 50 per cent chance both twins would survive, doctors said
Mrs Rean, an illustrator, said: 'Just as I thought I was going to be able to start enjoying my pregnancy after overcoming my severe morning sickness, we got the horrific news that the girls were suffering with TTTS.
'It felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest and shredded it into a million little pieces.'
The condition, occurring in around 15 per cent of identical twins who share a placenta, causes abnormal blood vessel connections to form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies.
In most cases, one twin then becomes dehydrated, which affects its growth, and the other develops high blood pressure which can lead to heart failure.
TTTS was spotted at Mrs Rean's 18 week scan. Isla was at risk of heart failure and Jemima was severely anaemic because of the condition.
'The girls were diagnosed with stage three TTTS, but they could have potentially diagnosed the TTTS sooner making it lower risk', Mrs Rean, who was told she could miss her 16 week scan, said.
The surgery entailed a laser ablation, in which a needle was inserted through her abdomen into the amniotic sac of the 'recipient' twin, which in this case was Isla.
The twins, pictured in a scan, were receiving an imbalanced level of blood supply, which threatened their lives unless their mother had surgery
The surgery was a success, however the twins were born 11 weeks prematurely at 29 weeks, weighing less than six pounds between them
Mrs Rean said: 'When I walked into the operating theatre, there were computers and screens everywhere with around 12 people all dressed in scrubs - I've never been so frightened in my life.
'Both Ben and I were petrified as we really didn't have any idea if the twins would survive the surgery and we couldn't bear the idea of losing our twins.'
Around 300 twins die from the condition every year in the UK, while 6,000 babies are affected annually in the US.
Miraculously, just 20 minutes
