The mum of two twin babies that were believed to be the first in Britain to be born with Covid-19 says she feels 'blessed' she can spend Christmas with them at home.
Sarah Curtis, 34, says that this Christmas with her two newborn children is the 'greatest gift' she could possibly receive.
The mum of four learned she'd tested positive for the virus just a matter of days before Kenna and Lissa were born ten weeks early on 3 July.
When they were born, they weighed just 3lbs each and both tested positive for the coronavirus. After spending six weeks in West Cumberland Hospital they were released to go home to their loving parents.
The babies are now five months old and 'brilliant, beautiful and healthy', which bodes well for their first festive season at home.
For that milestone, they'll receive pendants, a gift that Sarah has given to all her children, to be given to them when they're older.
Sarah, from Cumbria, said: "I was genuinely so afraid that I was going to lose them - it was so terrifying and paralysing.
"I could have lost them, I could have died there in the hospital - but we're here now looking forward to celebrating Christmas together as a family.
"I count every day the blessings that I've got them. They fill me with so much joy and you never get tired of every smile. Just grateful for them.
"I'm so grateful this Christmas for these kids. That we're all still here. We haven't lost anyone through Covid and we're all healthy.
"Being with my family, with my children, it's the greatest gift we could ever hope for.
"This year has put everything in perspective for us and I couldn't be happier."
She added: "It's not what's around the tree but who is around the tree - and I'm so happy with who is around the tree."
The pregnancy was difficult because the pair suffered from twin-to-twin syndrome, which is a prenatal condition in which twins don't share the placenta's blood supply equally between them.
That meant Sarah had to go 300 miles to London on her own for specialist care.
It also meant that she was told it was likely that one of the twins would die.
Mercifully, that didn't happen.
She continued: "It was a miracle that both twins survived.
"The last week in the hospital felt like a prison sentence.
"But thankfully the staff were just brilliant. Without them I don't know if I'd be here today, and I don't know if I'd have my two beautiful babies."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: UK News