Florida woman delivers rare set of identical twins with Down syndrome

The likelihood of having twins has grown by 72% between 1980 and 2018, but it remains uncommon, with only around 33 out of 1,000 births resulting in twins. Identical twins are even rarer, with roughly three or four births out of 1,000 being identical.

Savannah Combs, a 23-year-old woman, was overjoyed to discover she was expecting twins. However, she soon learned that both twins had Down syndrome, an even more unusual occurrence.

Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman, were aware that their twins’ Down syndrome might lead to judgment from others. However, this uniqueness made the babies even more special to Savannah, who referred to them as her “little gems.”

From Middleburg, Florida, Savannah shared her experiences after giving birth to her daughters, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, on TikTok. Their story quickly attracted a large number of followers.

“It’s very rare what they have, but they’ve been my little gems,” she told News4JAX.

In a video, Savannah mentioned that she was advised to terminate her pregnancy as her babies might not survive. Instead, she chose to give them a chance to fight.

Each prenatal appointment, where her babies were alive, was a blessing for her. When Savannah found out they both had Down syndrome, her husband was away at boot camp.

Savannah gave birth to her identical twin daughters, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, at 29 weeks pregnant on May 12, 2021. Born two months early, the girls had to spend several weeks in the NICU before going home.

The twins, known as “mono di” twins, had separate sacs but shared the same placenta, making them identical. Mono di twins are already rare, but the combination of this with Down syndrome is extremely unusual, with an occurrence rate of about one in 2 million.

Savannah emphasizes that her twins, despite their rare condition, are like any other children. They have feelings, a beating heart, and can talk and do things just like other kids. They might be a step behind, but they’ll eventually reach their milestones, as Savannah has found them to be feisty and happy little ones.

She continues to share their progress and cute updates on TikTok, aiming to demonstrate that they’re just like everyone else and can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Savannah has faced criticism and insensitive comments from some social media users about her family and twins. One person even said they would give up such babies for adoption. However, Savannah responded gracefully on Facebook, saying that it’s a good thing her daughters were born to her and not someone else. She believes that God knew what He was doing by giving the babies to parents who would love them unconditionally.

Her daughters are beautiful, and anyone who thinks otherwise is simply being unkind. People with Down syndrome are often some of the most loving and precious individuals. Sharing this heartwarming story can inspire others to appreciate the beauty and love in every child.