Birmingham twins born to Covid-19 coma patient turn one

Dr Perpetual Uke said she and the twins had been "getting stronger and getting better" over the past year

Twins who were born prematurely while their mother was in a coma battling Covid-19 have turned one.

The pair were delivered by Caesarean section at 26 weeks on 10 April 2020, after their mother Perpetual Uke was put into an induced coma.

Dr Uke said all three of them had been "getting stronger and getting better" over the past year.

She said the day was "crowned with joy because we are all here".

The twins were due on 17 July 2020, but born 10 April

A rheumatology consultant at Birmingham City Hospital, Dr Uke began to feel unwell in late March.

She was admitted to a critical care unit, placed on a ventilator and placed in the coma to aid her recovery.

Her daughter weighed just 770g (27oz) and her son just 80g (3oz) more.

The babies were delivered at 26 weeks and weighed just 27oz and 30oz

When Dr Uke woke from her coma 16 days later, she said she "didn't believe" the twins were hers.

"It is nice to look back and see the light at the end of the tunnel," Dr Uke said.

Despite her "rocky" start to life, Dr Uke said her daughter had made "tremendous progress", while her son had recently suffered with illness.

They will be celebrating with a virtual party with their extended family and Dr Uke said it would be a chance to "go through what last year has been".

"This time last year, I was still in the coma, I hadn't met them... I didn't know where I was, I was still battling between life and death," she said.

"We couldn't have been here without God and without the medical teams.

"It has been a very difficult time for [the twins] and all of us have gone through the emotional rollercoaster, but we are strong now and we are getting there, hopefully."

Perpetual Uke, pictured with her four children and husband Matthew, will be having a virtual celebration with their wider family