A set of 'miracle' twins born 17 weeks early have spent eight months in hospital after one was born with hands the size of her father's fingernail.
Early Arrival Against All Odds
Amy Sharkey, 32, gave birth to her daughter Orla at 23 weeks and two days, weighing just 1lb 1oz. Her son Frankie arrived four days later, weighing 1lb 5oz. Their mother and partner Jack Ginn, 33, were told survival chances were typically below 10 per cent.
Frankie spent 161 days in hospital before being discharged in February 2026. Orla remained for a further 61 days, finally coming home in April. The couple say the twins are now 'doing amazing', despite ongoing health complications.
Tiny Beginnings
Jack, a construction worker from Linlithgow, West Lothian, described Orla as 'the size of my hand, basically the size of a mango with small arms and legs. Her hands were the size of my fingernail.' Frankie was similarly tiny. 'Pictures don't do the size justice,' he added.
He described Orla as 'a little boss lady, crazy and feisty', while Frankie is 'a sweet little mummy's boy who loves a chat and a cuddle'. Even before their due date, their personalities shone through.
Sudden Complications
Amy's pregnancy was normal until her 20-week scan. On August 19, 2025, she was already two centimetres dilated, four and a half months early. She was admitted to hospital the next day and received a cervical stitch. Jack believes the stitch bought them crucial extra days.
After a few days at home, fluid leaked from Orla's amniotic sac, and Amy was admitted to the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh. The stitch was removed on September 6 due to infection, and Orla was born the next day, weighing as much as a small bag of sugar.
After Orla's birth, Amy's cervix closed, but Frankie needed to be delivered due to infection risk. 'They had to give me a hormone drip to restart labour to hurry up and get Frankie out,' Amy said. Frankie was born on September 11.
Life-Saving Surgeries
Both twins were rushed to the neonatal unit. At 10 days old, Orla contracted Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC), causing three bowel perforations. She underwent three surgeries, including a full laparotomy at 10 days, 17 days, and five and a half months.
Jack said they were asked multiple times if they wanted to consider palliative care. 'There's no option for surgery after the second lot of perforations. They put a drain site in and we just hope for the best.' Orla had a stoma for over 100 days before surgeons reversed it and reconnected her bowel in February 2026. However, her colon was removed. 'She far exceeded all expectations,' Jack said.
Ongoing Health Challenges
Frankie has chronic lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and recently had laser eye surgery for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Orla also has ROP but less severe.
Frankie was discharged on February 19, 161 days after birth. The family lived in a charity house inside the hospital until Orla was discharged on April 20, 225 days after she was born. 'We lived in the hospital. We were only home a handful of times,' Jack said. Both babies are still tube-fed, and Frankie requires 24-hour oxygen.
Amy believes Orla's health issues 'will last through her life', but hopes Frankie will soon breathe independently.
Gratitude for Hospital Staff
The couple expressed deep gratitude to the nurses and doctors from the Simpsons Special Care Babies Unit and the Ronald McDonald charity. 'Without them, we couldn't have done the journey. They were so dedicated to their care and to us. We just lived and breathed the hospital,' Jack said.
He added that Orla 'proved everybody wrong, every hurdle, she never let up.'
