My beginning was a bit different to most other people. I'm an identical twin! Our entrance to earth side was quite unique to say the least and we used to
Love hearing our mum tell us this story over and over again.
Our parents were infertile for 9 years after the birth of our older brother. They desperately tried to have more kids and in the end started to take Chinese herbal medicine to help with their fertility. At this stage they were desperate!
In the meantime My parents took a missionary team over to PNG. My mum contracted Malaria. She got extremely sick! Malaria can be fatal but fortunately she had access to medication to help her. Despite this, an absolute miracle happened while they were over there too and my sister and I were conceived! They were ecstatic yet worried as my mum was so unwell. Mum was very sick with Malaria while she was pregnant with us. So sick her urine went black and her weight dropped extremely low. Somehow she got to 37 weeks pregnancy before going into labour.
Mum didn't know what sex she was having as she didn't believe ultrasounds were safe. The obstetrician (whom she later found out was an alcoholic and most likely drunk during our delivery) just checked the heartbeat each visit and there was one healthy heartbeat each time. One you say? Yes! My parents didn't know they were having twins!
Just before midnight I was born. My father chose my name "Rebekah Elllen" (which means faithful one) and they were so happy to have a daughter. My mum was given an injection to expel the placenta as it wasn't coming. The obstetrician put his hand up my mum (ouch!) to pull the placenta out and low and behold he felt a foot! He quickly pulled out my sister who wasn't breathing properly due to the injection they had given my mum and had to be stabilised. My dad almost passed out and went white as a ghost and had to breath into a paper bag. My mum was in shock too! Fortunately even though my sister was quite unwell for awhile after birth she survived! My mum named her "Rachel Irena" (which means little lamb).
We came from infertility, our mother was extremely sick with malaria and we weren't discovered as twins till birth. Our lives had a plan and purpose as I believe everyones does. I thank God all the time that I have another half to me .
We live about an hour away from each other now and we both homeschool our kids. She has 4 very handsome boys around the same age as my older 4 kids. I love them all a lot. We try and see each other as much as possible in our busy lives. We are always there for each other and I will always count her as my closest friend. I love that my beginning was a bit out of the ordinary 馃槍
