Two years ago, the now-iconic image of these twin sisters holding hands at the instant of their miraculous birth caused the Internet to collectively ‘awwww’.
Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite shared the same amniotic sac up to their caesarean section delivery on May 9, 2014; they are monoamniotic ᴛᴡɪɴꜱ, a trait so uncommon that it only affects 1 in 10,000 pregnancies. Due to the potential for complications when two Bᴀʙɪᴇꜱ and two umbilical cords are in the same area, their mother Sarah Thistlethwaite was forced to spend 57 days on bed rest before the girls were born, making garments for the eagerly awaited Nᴇᴡʙᴏʀɴꜱ.
Every birth is a Mɪʀᴀᴄʟᴇ, but multiple pregnancies are particularly noteworthy. However, what the medical professionals saw in the birth room touched everyone’s hearts. Everyone in the room watched in astonishment as the girls, who were born only 45 seconds apart, joined hands and hung on to each other. It was the most incredible and beautiful moment, Thistlethwaite recalls.
The ᴛᴡɪɴꜱ are now two years old, and even though they have very different personalities—Jillian is the more ғᴇᴀʀless twin, while Jenna is more cautious—they are still very much alike. Although twin relationships are incredibly strong, these sisters have a particularly special ᴄʟᴏsᴇness. Thistlethwaite explains how they both become Exᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ distressed and ask for each other if they are even briefly apart, as happens when she and her husband take one each on separate errands.
Like every sister, the girls have their share of mischievous moments, and their parents have to buy two of everything to avoid competition, but they both like swimming and being outside.One thing is certain: as these girls grow up, they will have a pretty amazing story to share at dinner parties about the delight of having a ready-made best friend.
