While the chances of giving birth to twins increased 72 percent between 1980 and 2018, it\u2019s still pretty rare. About 33 out of every 1,000 births are twins.<\/p>\n
And what are the chances of identical twins? Approximately every three or four births out of every 1,000 are identical twins. So again, relatively rare.<\/p>\n
When 23-year-old Savannah Combs found out she was pregnant with twins, she was thrilled. And then she learned another rarity, they both had Down syndrome.<\/p>\n
Of course, it was emotional news. Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman, knew that some people would judge her and her babies because of their condition.<\/p>\n
But to Savannah, that\u2019s what makes them incredibly precious.<\/p>\n
Savannah, who is from Middleburg, Florida, shared her post-pregnancy journey with her daughters Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, on TikTok where they quickly gained a following.<\/p>\n
In one of her videos, Savannah said she was told to abort her babies because they would not make it.<\/p>\n
She decided to keep them and give them a fighting chance.<\/p>\n
When she learned they both had Down syndrome, her husband was away at boot camp.<\/p>\n
Savannah was 29 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to the hospital, and delivered her daughters. The identical twin girls, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, were born on May 12, 2021.
\nThe twins arrived two months before their due date, so they had to spend several weeks in the NICU before they came home.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re 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,\u201d she said.hey are just like any other child.
\n\u201cThey have feelings. They have a beating heart. They know how to talk. They know how to do things you do. They will get there,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cLike I said, it may be a step behind but they\u2019re going to do it. I\u2019ve learned these kids are feisty little things and happy little things.\u201d
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