The story of Rowen and Blake: Twins who cuddled to stay alive
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London, England, Feb 3, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- When newlyweds Charlie and Hayley Lampshire from Oxfordshire, England found out they were pregnant with twins in 2015, they couldn't have been happier.But at their 12-week ultrasound, the couple found out some frightening news: Hayley was carrying Monoamniotic-Monochorionic twins, which meant that the babies shared one amniotic sac – putting them at high-risk for becoming strangled by their own umbilical cords.“Charlie and I were terrified at first, but we want to share our story to reassure other that there is hope, something that we struggled to find when doing our own research,” said Hayley, according to the Metro.co.UK.“My husband, Charlie, and I were heartbroken when we found out our babies were in danger,” she said.As the babies grew and became more active in the womb, they became more at risk for becoming tangled in each other’s cords. They couple was told that selective abortion...

London, England, Feb 3, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- When newlyweds Charlie and Hayley Lampshire from Oxfordshire, England found out they were pregnant with twins in 2015, they couldn't have been happier.
But at their 12-week ultrasound, the couple found out some frightening news: Hayley was carrying Monoamniotic-Monochorionic twins, which meant that the babies shared one amniotic sac – putting them at high-risk for becoming strangled by their own umbilical cords.
“Charlie and I were terrified at first, but we want to share our story to reassure other that there is hope, something that we struggled to find when doing our own research,” said Hayley, according to the Metro.co.UK.
“My husband, Charlie, and I were heartbroken when we found out our babies were in danger,” she said.
As the babies grew and became more active in the womb, they became more at risk for becoming tangled in each other’s cords. They couple was told that selective abortion would be an option, but they continued the pregnancy with both babies.
The doctors told Hayley and Charlie that the only way the babies would survive is if they didn’t move throughout the pregnancy.
“They needed to keep still in order to keep one another alive,” Hayley recalled.
As Hayley continued to visit the doctor for her ultrasounds, they were astonished to discover a miracle: the babies were cuddling and holding hands as they grew – remaining still and untangled with each growth scan.
Because of their high-risk, the babies were scheduled to be delivered at 34-weeks by caesarian section, as the doctors didn’t want the babies to get any bigger.
On August 25, the twin boys Rowen and Blake were each delivered within 36 seconds of each other, weighing just over 4 pounds each.
“They had fluid in their lungs and were struggling to breathe on their own,” Hayley said, adding that the twins stayed in the hospital for three weeks before bringing them home.
Now, Hayley and Charlie are happy to report that their sons are now thriving and “growing so fast.” The couple expressed how grateful they were for the lives of their twins, and can’t wait to tell their sons about their miraculous story when they get older.
“So far, they have been good at sharing, after all it saved their lives. But I’m sure it will be a different story when they get older,” Hayley noted.
“When they get older, we will tell them how special their bond is.”
Miracle twins kept each other alive by holding hands while still in the womb https://t.co/TPJQuihWM7
— Metro (@MetroUK) January 30, 2017
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Pope Leo XIV greets a young pilgrim in Rome during a meeting with group of teachers and young people from Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, Saturday, July 5, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jul 5, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said pilgrimages play an essential role in the life of faith as they help a Christian to be better united to Jesus Christ and discern God's purpose for us in life.The Holy Father invited a large group of teachers and young people from Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to the Vatican on Saturday and encouraged them to come closer to God during their summer pilgrimage in Rome for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.Pilgrims present Pope Leo XIV with a bottle of Irish whisky at the Vatican, Saturday, July 5, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaDuring the meeting, the pope said: "A pilgrimage has a vital part to play in our life of faith for it removes us from our homes and our daily routines and gives us time and space...
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A choir poses before an image of Pier Giorgio Frassati during a celebration of the centenary of his death, Turin, Italy, Friday, July 4, 2025 / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNATurin, Italy, Jul 5, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).On the 100th anniversary of Pier Giorgio Frassati's death this week, crowds packed into the Turin Cathedral to pray at the tomb of the charismatic young man who is set to be canonized as a saint in September. The three-day celebration of the centenary, dubbed "Frassati Days," drew pilgrims from the United States, Poland, and Switzerland to Piedmont, the northern Italian region where Frassati lived and left a lasting legacy of faith and charity. Concelebrating priests preside at Mass in Turin's Cathedral of St John the Baptist celebrating the centenary of Pier Giorgio Frassati's death, Friday, July 4, 2025. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA "These 100 years made Frassati a popular young man. Not only in Turin, not only in Piedmont, not only in Italy, but all ove...
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Trees emerge from flood waters along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. / Credit: Eric Vryn/Getty ImagesSan Antonio, Texas, Jul 5, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Catholics are responding with prayers and aid after record-breaking flash floods in central Texas devastated communities along the area's rivers and killed multiple people. The flash flooding began in the early hours of July 4. Heavy rainfall filled the creeks that emptied into the several rivers that wind through the normally arid hills known as the Texas Hill Country, located north and west of San Antonio and Austin."At this time it is unknown how many have been affected by rising water levels along rivers and creeks," the Archdiocese of San Antonio said in a Friday statement. "It is our prayer that those impacted by the floods will find the strength to rebuild. We pledge to be wit...