Mom whose twin was born with one eye uses her trauma to empower others
“I remember the way the doctor drew a line down the center of her face with her hand and ran it down the left side of her face as if to erase what was there.”
A mother whose life was changed forever when one of her twins was born with one eye, now she helps transform the lives of other parents who have a disabled child. Charlie Beswick has shared his story as part of Twins, Triplets & More Week, which runs from July 4-10.
Charlie’s twins, Harry and Oliver, were born in 2005. Harry was born with a rare craniofacial condition called Goldenhar syndrome. He had no eyes, eye sockets, ears, nostrils, and a short, underdeveloped jaw.
Charlie said life changed forever in that moment, but after six years of struggling to come to terms with what had happened, she now empowers other mothers to realize that an altered life can still be wonderful. She said: “I was only seven weeks pregnant when we found out I was expecting twins in 2004. Once the initial shock wore off I felt excited and, if I’m honest, a bit smug. While mere mortals had one baby at a time, the super womb here was baking two. I was elated.
“In my mind, I planned the future of my children. The birthday parties, the prom, the vacations together, how he handled fights and heartbreaks. I felt so blessed that my children always had someone on their side, even when their dad and I weren’t around.
“I researched what my life was going to be like by watching twin shows on TV to get advice on how to feed them both. With each show my enthusiasm grew.”
Twelve hours after Charlie’s water broke, she was rushed to the operating room for an emergency C-section. Her partner arrived just in time to see the arrival of her twin sons. Oliver and Harry weighed just 3lbs 9oz and were taken to special care while Charlie was taken to a hospital ward to rest.
Just a few hours later, Charlie received the unexpected news about her son, Harry.
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