British parents Nicola and Todd Bailey were overcome with joy when they welcomed their twin daughters [1], Quinn and Harper, into the world when Nicola was just 33 weeks pregnant back in February. And despite the fact that Harper was born with Down Syndrome [2] 38 minutes before Quinn arrived, the pair of happy parents wouldn't change their situation "for the world."
As a nurse and mom to a 4-year-old son Lucas, Nicola knew the importance of getting her routine tests and scans done while pregnant. Even though she was vigilant, none of the scans showed any indication of Down Syndrome.
Looking back, Nicola realised that she definitely felt different at the later stages of this pregnancy compared to the time she was carrying her son: "I did have a weird feeling as I got bigger a lot quicker than my previous pregnancy."
Once Harper was delivered, Nicola remembers the doctor telling her "I'm sorry" after tests confirmed that Harper did, in fact, have Down Syndrome. [3]
Nicola wasn't fazed in the slightest by the doctor's apology: "But as soon as I saw them both my heart just melted [4]," she told Inside Edition. "They were both so beautiful."
Now, Nicola and Todd are dedicated to spreading Down Syndrome awareness. Because Harper was born with a hole in her heart — a common condition for babies born with Down Syndrome [6] — she will most likely undergo heart surgery once she turns 6 years old.
"Harper is Harper and Quinn is Quinn," said Nicola. "They are not the same so I try not to compare them, however hard that may be."