THEY were no bigger than his hands but Wangaratta’s David Lowe was in love.
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He and wife Rebecca’s twin daughters had arrived to say hello well ahead of schedule.
Isabella May and Scarlett Hope were born on September 7 at just 24 weeks old.
The past two months have been a mix of panic, fear and outright joy for the family, who are still in Melbourne as the girls remain in the care of Monash Hospital.
But, Mr Lowe says, the ordeal has been made much easier thanks to Ronald McDonald House.
Mr Lowe said his wife began having pains two days before the twins were born and attended Northeast Health Wangaratta, where staff immediately advised they should go to Melbourne.
Rebecca had been diagnosed with a condition close to pre-eclampsia, which would shut down her liver and kidneys if she did not deliver soon.
“They caught it as early as they could, the staff at Wangaratta could see what was happening,” Mr Lowe said.
The twins were then born on the Saturday — Isabella at 697 grams and Scarlett, 600 grams.
Since then, both girls have almost doubled their birth weights and a proud dad reports they are “both doing as well as can be expected for the gestation period”.
The family might not be back in the North East until January, which is where Ronald McDonald House comes in — Mr Lowe and his wife have been staying there since the birth and have found the team there invaluable.
“They are there for you all the time, the volunteers are just unbelievable,” he said.
“They do an incredible job, providing you with a bed and somebody to listen to as most have been through similar situations.”
The Lowes are also not the only couple from the region to benefit from the house, with the couple meeting other families from Wodonga, Yarrawonga and Bright using the service.
