Identical twins Hannah and Rachel are something of a phenomenon.
Born 18 months ago, in Basingstoke, England, the girls have Down syndrome. According to the U.K. National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register, having identical twins with Down syndrome only occurs approximately once in every one million pregnancies.
The mother of the twins, Nardy Mejias, says that her pregnancy with Hannah and Rachel was completely normal and healthy, with prenatal checkups never having indicated that either of her girls could have Down syndrome. As a result, it was something of a surprise when, three weeks after their births, Nardy was given the news.
Enzo Lattanzio We're so blessed!!! Love my Family 😄
Posted by Nardy Mejias on Thursday, June 14, 2018
Hannah and Rachel were just three-weeks-old when they were diagnosed with Down syndrome. Mom Nardy, and her husband Enzo, immediately jumped into ingesting everything they could about the condition, in a bid to be as prepared as possible.
Nardy admits raising the girls has been some task, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“So far raising twins has been hard, like harder than running a marathon. But caring for our twins brings us great joy,” she said.
“We enjoy how they bond together and celebrate when they reach a milestone at their own pace.
“They are lovely — they are not defined by the condition.”
Whereas some parents might be daunted by the idea of raising twins with Down syndrome, Nardy and Enzo have every intention of ensuring their girls live the fullest possible lives.
What’s more, Hannah and Rachel are already having success as young models. They recently signed up with their first agency, Zebedee Management, and their mom is hoping they can continue to exceed expectations.
“My husband and I have great expectations to reach their full potential (according to) their future talents and we’re working to give them the right opportunities in life,” she said.
“They won’t be defined by Down syndrome but as girls with great capabilities, self-worth — feeling good about themselves.”
The twins are currently learning to communicate in sign language, as well as in English, Italian and Spanish. It’s Nardy’s aim to inspire other families in the hope of more people seeing the value of children with Down syndrome.
What a brilliant pair Hannah and Rachel are, and what fantastic parents Nardy and Enzo appear to be.
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