THE parents of conjoined twins born to a Co Antrim couple have released the first picture of the infants following successful surgery to separate them, saying there is "light at the end of the tunnel" for their family.
Little Annabelle and Isabelle Bateson were born in March to parents Hannah and Tom from Toomebridge, after they journeyed to University College Hospital in London for the birth.
The couple had learned of the infants' rare condition following a pregnancy scan, and it was discovered the twins were joined from chest to pelvis, and shared a liver, bladder and bowel.
The couple were told the children would require "ongoing surgeries" throughout their lives and would require a prosthetic leg each.
An online fundraising campaign to raise an initial target of £5,000 for the family has since reached over £22,500.
The delicate surgery to separate Annabelle and Isabelle took place in September at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, where the girls remain in recovery.
Yesterday evening the couple released the first image of their daughters following the surgery, showing the infants in a buggy during an outside walk.
In a social media post, the couple said they were "finally feeling like the girls are coming out the other side of things now".
Speaking of their recovery, the couple said: "It took Issie a little bit longer to get back to her happy wee self but she’s got there. They’ve both found their voices again."
The babies were said to be warbling at "full force", and the delighted parents added: "It’s amazing to see the girls interacting with each other, talking and playing, reaching out for each other."
Being able to take the twins for walks was a "game changer" the couple said.
They added that the girls "still have a bit to go" in their recovery process, and were hopeful of being able to return to the north as a family within weeks.
