4 August 2020

A Warrington couple will be taking their new-born twins with them on a 20K walk to raise money for vital research into twin and triplet pregnancies

It will be the first major outing for Bex and Brad Quarmby and their four-month-old identical twin boys Axel Black and Reuben Zac who had had a tricky start to life when mum was diagnosed with TTTS (Twin to Twin Transfusion syndrome) and needed life-saving surgery in the womb.

Now shielding has ended for the family, raising money for the TTTS registry and nine other pieces of life-saving research being carried out at the Twins Trust Centre for Research and Clinical Excellence at St George’s Hospital, London, has become their focus.

Bex said: “We underwent radical fetal surgery at King’s College Hospital in London, in an attempt to save Axel and Reuben from TTTS.

This came with huge risks. We were told the chances of survival for our identical twin boys was 75% for 1 baby, 50% for both and 25% for neither. 

“The surgery was performed by Professor Kypros Nicolaides and his team at King’s in London and we are so very lucky and thankful to say that the treatment we underwent was successful. 

“We are eternally grateful to the teams at King’s, Liverpool Women's and Warrington Hospitals to have two beautiful babies as a result born weighing 2.2lbs & 3.8lbs, but sadly this is not the case for everyone.”

TTTS is a rare, serious condition that can occur in pregnancies when identical twins share a placenta. Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and allow blood to flow unevenly between the babies. One twin − called the donor – becomes dehydrated and the other − called the recipient − develops high blood pressure and produces too much urine in the amniotic sac. 

Without treatment TTTS can be fatal for both twins.

Sadly, Axel has lost his foot and part of his leg below the knee, not as a direct result of TTTS, but of other complications. The boys spent two months in neonatal care, not always at the same hospital, so during lockdown it was difficult for Bex and Brad to see them.

The staff were amazing but, it was a difficult time. I looked to Twins Trust for help and support and they were great. I am so pleased a charity like this exists.

“Then I saw that Twins Trust had organised a 10k walk, run, or swim, but we feel that pre-babies 10K would have been a walk in the park for us, so we are doubling up to walk 20K – so walk 10K for each of our littles!

“This will be quite challenging for us now. We will have all their gear, including both of their oxygen tanks on our backs, or in the buggy.  Plus, the copious amounts of lockdown weight gain and the pregnancy weight gain we will be carrying (and yes, Brad has this too!).  

“We have planned a route that we hope to complete in two days.  Our boys have met very few people so far and we have been very much deprived of frequent social interaction since March.”

Bex and Brad are hoping friends and family will join them along the way as it will be a nice opportunity to combine this with a few socially distanced get together's, introducing Axel and Reuben in the fresh open air.