Date Published: 07/12/2021
ARCHIVED - Irish mum gives birth to premature twins in Malaga after contracting Covid
The babies spent two-and-a-half months in hospital in Spain
Soon-to-be parents Tori O’Rourke and Phil Hillier, from Galway in Ireland, decided to go on a ‘babymoon’ to Malaga in Spain’s Andalucía at the end of August before welcoming their newborn twins, who were due in December. The expectant mum and her partner were excited to spend one last holiday as a couple and were given the go-ahead by the family doctor.
However, just two days after arriving in sunny Spain, Tori began to feel unwell and was diagnosed with Covid. Although she was discharged quickly, the mum-to-be felt gradually worse and was taken back to hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU in a critical condition.
Doctors then made the difficult decision to deliver her babies by C-section at just 24 weeks.
The twins, Emily and Jacob, were born at 2am on September 12, but the ordeal was far from over, as Tori wasn’t allowed to see or hold the fragile babies for several weeks, while Phil was permitted only short visits.
On their GoFundMe page, Tori admits to being “very scared and very stressed” as the language barrier made it difficult to access any information about the well-being of the babies.
Finally, after two-and-a-half months in a Spanish hospital, the family was discharged and allowed to return to Galway, where the babies were admitted to the ICU and Jacob has since undergone surgery on his eyes.
The fundraising campaign has almost reached its 20,000 euro target, and half of the money will be used to pay for the family’s’ accommodation and transport expenses in Malaga.
Tori are Phil are “overwhelmed” by the support they have received both at home in Ireland and in Spain.
“We can’t thank people enough,” Tori said.
Image: GoFundMe
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