750 and 880 grams: that’s what twin preemies Shirine and Siham weighed when they came into the world at only 26 weeks. Today, more than a year later, they’re the picture of health and have a bright future ahead of them, thanks to the excellent care they have received at Sainte-Justine. For children like them, your support is essential in turning those first tenuous heartbeats into the promise of a healthy life.
Lorsque When Majdouline and Xavier found out they were expecting not one but two babies, they were flabbergasted. “There aren’t any twins in either of our families, so it was totally unexpected,” said Majdouline. “I learned that identical twins aren’t hereditary and happen in about three out of every thousand births. So it’s like we won the lottery!”
At their second ultrasound, there was another surprise awaiting them: their doctor told them he suspected twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. TTTS is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition in pregnancies where two fetuses share a single placenta. Majdouline was immediately transferred to Sainte-Justine’s high-risk pregnancy unit (GARE), where she would be closely monitored for the next two months.
Although TTTS was never confirmed, the transfer to Sainte-Justine turned out to be a fortuitous move. At 26 weeks, her cervix was dilated to 6 centimetres. An emergency C-section was required. Fortunately, she and her twin girls were right where they needed to be: Sainte-Justine’s neonatal intensive care unit delivers 1,500 newborns every year, including 130 extreme preemies.
“I don’t think it hit us right away, but they were born very, very early,” said Majdouline. “We put all our trust in the medical team, and we never had one moment of regret. They were fabulous.”
Back home
Shirine and Siham spent the first five months of their lives in the Sainte-Justine NICU, cared for by a multidisciplinary team who did everything they could to promote the twins’ healthy development. Their parents were at their bedside every day, until they were eventually discharged in November 2023.
But once they were home, a new challenge arose. The twins refused to nurse or take a bottle, like they had been doing at the hospital, and required a feeding tube. That was when they started being seen at Sainte-Justine’s Integrated Centre for Child Neurodevelopment (CIRENE) and the wonderful team of professionals there — professionals like Thao, their nutritionist.
“Thao has been amazing,” said Majdouline. “She’d send us all these recipe ideas and meal plans. It’s a very complicated routine, especially when there are two babies involved. Her help made all the difference.”
These days, Shirine is breastfeeding again, and Siham is eating purées and small pieces of food. In September, they were given the thumbs-up to have their feeding tubes removed. It was a huge victory for the entire family.
The support we’ve received from Sainte-Justine every step of the way has been outstanding. They’re all so dedicated, and put their heart and soul into looking after children and their families. They have our undying gratitude.
19th annual Sainte-Justine Winter Triathlon
In an effort to give back to the hospital that has changed all their lives, Majdouline, Xavier, Shirine and Siham will be serving as family ambassadors for the next Sainte-Justine Winter Triathlon, coming to Maisonneuve Park on February 21, 2025.
They would like to invite the entire business community to take to the snow and ice for the 19th edition of this beloved winter challenge in order to help raise $700,000 in support of the life-changing work done at Sainte-Justine.
