Twin sisters who were photographed holding hands when they were born via caesarean two years ago are doing “swimmingly”, their mum has said.
Jenna and Jillian Thistlewaite were born on American Mother’s Day (11 May) 2014 via c-section after their mum, Sarah Thistlewaite, had a high-risk pregnancy and spent 57 days on bed rest.
The girls are “monoamniotic-monochorionic” (MoMo) twins, which means they shared an amniotic sac in the womb.
Just seconds after delivery, Thistlewaite saw her girls above her, holding hands.
Commenting on how her now two-year-old twins are doing, the mother says they’re closer than ever.
“If one twin is crying, the other will try to find a way to comfort her, like going to find a pacifier or rubbing the other’s back or offering a hug,” Thistlwaite told PEOPLE.
“They always take care of each other.”
Now two years old, Jenna and Jillian are showing different personalities – Jillian is the daredevil, while Jenna is more cautious – but they’re still extremely close.
“They like the same foods, they both love swimming and being outside, and they love to play with the same toys,” she added.
Akron Children’s hospital, where the twins were born, shared a before and after picture of the girls on Facebook.
“Remember Jenna and Jillian Thistlethwaite, the mono mono twins?” they wrote.
“The girls spent 30 days in the NICU at Akron Children’s after being born holding hands on Mother’s Day in 2014.”
Many remember the girls from the picture on the left.
“Oh how precious they look,” one person wrote. “I can’t believe they are two already. God bless them.”