A viral photo of newborn twins is warming the hearts of netizens. It shows one brother holding the hands of his critically-ill twin while he's recovering at the intensive care unit (ICU).
The photo was actually taken a few years ago and was recently shared by the twins' mother Kerrie Keen, 36, on social media. The story behind the photo, however, is proving just how strong the bond is between two babies who have shared a womb.
Cooper Keen suffered from multiple bleeding in the brain and low glucose while inside his mom's womb. After an emergency C-section, Cooper was taken to the ICU for immediate treatment and monitoring.
He suffered more complications like seizures and his family feared he won't make it, per Metro UK. Doctors, at first, couldn't determine what was ailing him but his condition was eventually diagnosed and it's cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.
The other twin, Lucas, was not without health complications as well as he experienced a significant drop in weight a week after birth. The mom believed Lucas was not be getting enough milk during breastfeeding, but the infant would eventually recover and visit his twin brother.
Each time Kerrie and Lucas visited Cooper at the ICU, the nurses would set the latter's incubator next to his twin. "I thought it was important," Kerrie said, per Daily Mail. "We used to put Lucas into the incubator with Cooper and they'd hold hands," the mom added.
It took Cooper five weeks to get better and today, he and Lucas are 3-years-old. Cooper has special needs but Lucas helps his mom and dad Owen care for him, along with older brother Jayden.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page as Cooper needs special facilities at home. "We are now in a position where Cooper is becoming heavy to carry up and downstairs," the family wrote in the crowdfunding site. "We now desperately need our family home adapted to suit Cooper's disabilities and his needs." Check out how the brothers are doing today in the video below.
