A Mother's Journey of Faith and Miracles: How I Fought for My Twins

"Nothing prepared me for that moment," Sarit Yaakov reflects on the birth of her twins a year ago. "I already had 12-year-old twins at home, a one-year-old, and now twins born at 24 weeks after a long hospitalization. I barely got out of bed during that month."

Sarit, still amazed, recalls it all. "It was a perfectly natural and joyful pregnancy," she remembers, "but early on, the doctor warned me something wasn't right, and I needed rest. I complied, but by week 20, one twin showed a partial placental detachment. Although the pregnancy continued, I had to be hospitalized and monitored closely."

Sarit Yaakov with one of the daughters

My name is Tair and I was born 500 grams

My name is Hallel and I was born 600 grams

The Toughest Promise

Those four hospitalized weeks are unforgettable. "They were hard in every way," Sarit recalls. "I lay in bed, barely moving, receiving eight units of blood as my hemoglobin levels fell to dangerous lows. Each test confirmed early delivery was inevitable."

"Daily visits from department heads did little to console me," she continues. "I was advised repeatedly that neither my pregnancy nor the babies would survive; potential defects seemed certain. Despite these warnings and risks to my life, I couldn't give up. After reaching the fifth month, accepting early termination wasn't an option. I held onto the hope that Hashem would grant me strength."

What gave you such confidence?

"I have strong faith," Sarit shares. "I believed Hashem would make things alright. My brother sought blessings from various rabbis, and my family prayed constantly. But the turning point was a significant personal vow I made, which I knew would compel Hashem to act."

Sarit pauses, recalling that decisive day: "One morning, overwhelmed with concern and longing for my year-old baby at home, I broke down in tears. My husband hinted I should take on a religious commitment, like covering my hair fully, which I'd only done on Fridays and Shabbats before."

That's a significant commitment for someone non-observant before.

"Yes, covering my hair felt daunting. My blond, curly hair was part of my identity. But I was ready for this sacrifice if it meant my daughters would survive."

That same day, Sarit fully committed to the head cover. "Less than a week later," she recalls with emotion, "an ultrasound technician couldn't find one of the twins' heads. It turned out, instead, I was in labor, unnoticed due to the babies' tiny size."

That must have been terrifying...

Sarit continues, "They rushed me to deliver. Several hours later, at week 24, my first daughter was born at 500 grams, followed by her sister at 600 grams."

"Just Pray," the Doctor Said

"The twins were moved to the NICU," Sarit recalls, "and seeing them was shocking despite my husband’s warnings about their size. They fit into my palm. The staff warned the first 72 hours were critical and possibly unsurvivable given their extreme prematurity."

"Doctors told me to pray, so exhausted, I did just that. I slept and awoke at dawn, praying and vowing to do whatever it took for my daughters' survival without disabilities."

Sarit beams with pride, "Three and a half months later, despite their tiny size, they thrived. Other early-born babies needed surgeries, but fortunately our girls did not, and they joined us at home healthily at three and a half months, weighing a healthy 3 kilograms. Though cautious of extreme prematurity’s risks, we never lost hope as doctors often doubted even their vision. My husband stayed home daily with them, while I returned to work."

"Repeatedly, I faced doctors challenging my convictions, yet my faith allowed me to remain unfazed, certain of their well-being. Breaking my biggest desire for Hashem assured me everything would be alright. Recently, around Purim, we celebrated Tair and Hallel's birthdays with gratitude for the ongoing miracle of their health and happiness."