Costco North Lakes, Ipswich and Coomera are set to again support Mater Little Miracles with their annual in-store fundraising campaign kicking off in September!
First-time parents, Tiahna and Juan, were shocked and excited to find out they were expecting twins. However, at their 16-week scan, they discovered their precious twins had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).
TTTS is a rare condition that affects approximately 10 per cent of identical twins that share a single placenta.
Planned in-utero surgery to correct TTTS was not possible for their unborn boys. So, just shy of 26 weeks’ gestation, Tiahna went into early labour, and Charlie and Oliver were born via emergency caesarean section, weighing just 820g and 675g respectively.
From birth, the boys received round-the-clock care at Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU), including vital ventilation and surgical interventions.
Tiahna still remembers the first cuddle she has with her boys.
“We had to wait a long time for our first cuddle, but when it came, it was incredible. It was quite different to normal cuddles, there were a lot of cords and cables attached. But it was the most incredible moment to hold them both.”
Their time in the NCCU wasn’t easy. Both boys needed CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and ventilation machines, and had several surgical procedures. Life-saving equipment helped them to grow stronger and healthier each day.
“The equipment in the NCCU has saved our boys' lives. Without that equipment, who knows where we would be right now”, Tiahna said.
Mater Mothers’ Hospital Director of Neonatology, Dr Pita Birch, was involved in the twin’s care from the very beginning.
“Seeing these boys through their journey has been a really rewarding experience. Knowing that every step of the way we had the equipment needed to keep them alive, and help us to connect families with their babies, it’s imperative to the work that we do”, Pita reflects.
After 130 days in Mater’s Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU), Charlie and Oliver were finally strong enough to go home.
Costco has been supporting Mater Little Miracles since 2015 and has raised more than $530,000 thanks to their generous staff and customers.
Your support helps babies like Charlie & Oliver access state-of-the-art equipment like Humidifiers and Kanmed BabyBeds, which helped give them the best possible start to life.
Purchase your token from 1 September 2024 from participating stores; North Lakes, Ipswich and Coomera.
