Little Leeann Twomey and her brother Michael Jr. have a story that goes beyond being twins. Their mom Ebony is herself a twin. Her brother James is now a proud uncle. "He loved it more than me. He was telling everybody, random people in the store, people at this job,"Ebony recalled.
There's another twist. Monday's hospital reunion came with three decades of history. When a pregnant Ebony returned to Kaiser Santa Clara where she was born, a nurse made the connection. "I said, 'OK guys. You're not going to believe this. I have a patient that I took care of when she was a preemie 30 years ago,' and their jaws dropped. It was pretty exciting," Sue Sitler recalled.
ABC7 covered the success of the Bain twins in 1981 because being a preemie back then was a medical challenge. Ebony was less than two pounds. "The first note in her chart was a pre-viable fetus which gives you an idea of what our thinking was at the time," said retired Kaiser pediatrician Irwin B. Bernhardt.
Fortunately, the newest duo to the family reached full-term. Michael Jr. and Leeann were born at 37 weeks and were normal weight for twins, about five pounds. The reunion celebrated a mother and daughter who have both given birth to twins and a Kaiser staff who bridged the years. "Back then, it was hard. It was much easier for my daughter than it was for me," Ebony's grandmother Victoria Bains said.
We certainly can't forget Michael, who fell in love with Ebony and is now a father with twins of his own. "Just grateful for everything. We're really blessed right now," he told ABC7.
In this circle of life and blessings, if there's another chapter, ABC7 will be sure to let you know.
