KNYSNA NEWS – Rianca Nel, 20, was looking forward to give birth to a baby girl, but she was in for the surprise of a lifetime. When the time came for baby's birth on Wednesday 24 May, there was not one baby, but two, and both are boys.
This surprise birth of twins Jordan and Logan inspired the Nel family to start a BackaBuddy campaign for Rianca.
The BackaBuddy campaign was started by Rianca's older sister Tanya.
"When I received the phone call to say that my sister gave birth and it isn't the girl we were all expecting, but two boys, my first thought was she didn't expect giving birth to two babies so she only has stuff for one and everything she has is obviously pink," Tanya said.
"My family thought of ways to help her get what's needed as soon as possible and that is when a friend of mine mentioned BackaBuddy. I immediately created my page and started sharing as much as I can so that we can help her raise funds to buy everything needed for babies (obviously not in pink). We all know what the cost of raising a baby is."
On 12 January, the Nel family received the news that, according to a sonar scan, Rianca was expecting a baby girl.
The excited mother had plans to name her Ava Nel. On 22 May, Rianca went for her 40-week clinic check-up at the Knysna Town Clinic, where she was found to be in labour already.
Clinic staff phoned the ambulance to come and fetch her to the hospital. On the morning of 24 May, the family were all waiting in anticipation for the news that little Ava had been born. Instead they received very different news.
The doctor had to deliver Jordan via vacuum delivery. Rianca's mom, Hester van Wyk, noticed that Rianca's stomach was still standing at a point and called the doctor, who instructed Rianca to push as another baby was coming.
Logan was born as a breech baby with the umbilical cord around his neck. The twins were born between 11:00 and 11:10, weighing 3,435kg (Jordan) and 2,670kg (Logan). The doctor was also shocked as he hasn't seen an undiagnosed pregnancy past 12 weeks.
Baby Jordan was jaundiced and was initially put in an incubator, but mom and both sons were discharged on Saturday 27 May and are recuperating at home.
"I am currently doing really well with my boys. The feeling of finding out the news was unreal. I cried and kept asking my mom and the doctor if it was real, if both these boys are really mine. It really felt unreal until the moment I finally held my two boys in my arms after I came out of theatre. It was in shock at first but I see it as such a huge blessing," says Rianca.
The Nel family have so far managed to raise R1 000 via BackaBuddy. If you are interested in aiding their cause, please find their campaign titled 'Double Blessing Boys' on BackaBuddy.
Twin boys Jordan and Logan were a huge surprise to their mother Rianca Nel, who was told she was expecting a girl.
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