The Longhurst family are looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day with new twin sisters for their 18 month-old daughter Sophie this year. Just over a year ago, in January 2012, The Caterham Independent featured an article about a book Denise had written in memory of her daughter Amy who was stillborn at 39 weeks in June 2010. Denise and her husband Warren had since welcomed their daughter Sophie who was six months old when the article was published last year.

In March Denise, who grew up in Caterham-on-the-Hill, found out she was pregnant again, this time with twins! At 20 weeks Denise and Warren were told that the babies had severe Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). Twin 2 (Abigail) was not moving or growing because her blood was being transfused around twin 1 (Hannah) so Abbie was anaemic and did not have enough nutrients to grow and Hannah's heart was failing because it could not cope with the excess blood. Denise and Warren were told that they were going to lose the babies because they were both so ill. The only option was to have immediate laser ablation surgery at Kings Hospital in London. There was a third of a chance of saving both babies, a third of a chance of saving one of them and a third of losing them both.

Denise said: "After the surgery we left the hospital that night and I was told to come back in a week. Miraculously both babies were still alive and growing. My consultant called me a 'walking wonder' as the outcome had looked so bleak at one stage. It is a relatively new and cutting-edge procedure so a few years ago they would not have survived at all." The babies were born early at 30 weeks on 11th August 2012 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton weighing 3lb 2oz (Hannah) and 3lb 1oz (Abigail) and after five weeks in the Special Care Baby Unit, went home weighing around 12lb each.

Denise said: "Sophie, who is now 18 months, loves being big sister!"

Copies of Denise's book, 'Amy, Our Little Bit of Heaven' can be bought for £8.99 by contacting Denise at deniselonghurstbooks@ gmail.com. £3 from the sale of each book goes to St. Mary's Church in Caterham.