Frankielen da Silva Zampoli Padilha, a 21-year-old from Brazil, succumbed to brain Haemorrhage during pregnancy in October last year after suffering a stroke. She was kept alive on life support for 123 days before delivering twins successfully by emergency caesarean section.
The babies’ fight for life reduced doctors at the Nosso Senhora do Rocio hospital in south Brazil, to tears as they provided unprecedented levels of care that included decorating the space around Frankielen's bed with her pictures.
Husband Muriel Padilha, 24, was heartbroken by the loss of his wife, but overjoyed with the birth of Asaph and Anna Vitoria. He described his children's birth as a miracle.
Ana Vitoria was born weighing 1.4 kg with her brother, Asaph tipping the scales at 1.3 kg. Their health was compatible to that of premature babies of the same age.
The newborns were kept in incubators for three months to avoid the risk of infection, to build up their strength, help them gain weight and to wean them off the medication administered to their mum during their gestation.
The babies are now being looked after by Frankielen’s mother, Angela Silva, while Muriel works to keep bread on the table
(with inputs from AP)
Video editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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