Two Months After Her Twins Died, Mother Gets Shocking News

It is always a terrible thing for a parent to lose their child. The sheer heartbreak turns into regret and self-blame as they wonder what they could have done differently, but more often than not, there are no answers to those questions. Unfortunately, Angel Hind had been struck with a double blow when she lost her twins before she even got to hold them. But she had no idea that she would be receiving a blessing after tragedy.

Angel and her partner, Nick Smails, both had a long line of twins in their families, and with that genetic makeup, it came as no surprise that they were expecting twins of their own. They were as excited as any new parents would be, unaware that their dream of holding their children would soon be crushed.

Angel went into labor when she was only 22 weeks pregnant, on September 21, 2015. Babies have an exceptionally low survival rate at that gestational age, which greatly distressed the expecting parents.

“I managed to hold on, and they were born on the right day,” Angel told the Daily Mail.

Even though they were able to delay the labor enough to give the babies a fighting chance, tragedy struck quickly. Less than an hour after delivery, while doctors rushed the twins straight to the ICU, the parents learned that little Blake had already passed away.

Annabelle, Blake’s twin sister, continued fighting for her life. While doctors remained hopeful at first, they soon discovered a perforation in her bowel and had to perform emergency surgery to try and save her. Despite doing everything in their power, the medical team realized that Annabelle wouldn’t make it through the night. She passed away at just four days old.

“She just couldn’t keep fighting,” Angel said. “We turned her life support off and just held her as she went.”

Angel and Nick had to return to daily life after losing both their twins. Though routine returned, it did nothing to ease the heartbreak the couple carried with them every day.

“It was hard because we felt so guilty,” Angel told The Sun. “It’s just the worst thing you could possibly go through.”

Fate, however, wasn’t done with the young family just yet. As they pushed through the pain, they received a surprise that turned their world upside down once again. Around twelve weeks later, Angel never expected to sit in a doctor’s office and hear that she was pregnant once more. In fact, not only was she pregnant—she was expecting twins again, one boy and one girl.

“The first time around was fun and exciting, but the second time, everyone fell silent when they told us,” Angel said.

The emotional wounds from their earlier loss had barely begun to heal, and now the couple found themselves facing the exact same path. This time, there was no immediate joy.

“It felt like Groundhog Day, as if we could be going through the same thing over and over again,” Angel said.

The couple couldn’t shake the dread that something would go wrong all over again. Angel was frantic, determined to follow every piece of medical advice down to the letter while desperately trying not to let worry take over.

Yet, this time was different. It felt as though little Blake and Annabelle were watching over their new brother and sister. Angel’s pregnancy progressed without a single complication, and in August 2016, Ava and Mason entered the world to two overjoyed parents. The babies were given special middle names in tribute to the brother and sister who came before them: Ava Annabelle and Mason Blake.

Angel made sure her first children would never be forgotten, wanting the twins to grow up knowing their siblings’ story.

“The first place we took Ava and Mason when we left the hospital with them was to see the graves,” Angel said. “That was the first time we were all together.”

The healthy twins recently celebrated their first birthday, but Angel didn’t stop there. Despite the pain experienced at James Cook University Hospital, the neonatal staff had done everything humanly possible, and the family stayed deeply grateful for their care during their darkest days. Angel set up a JustGiving page, raising £1,300 for the hospital’s neonatal unit in honor of their work.

“You never get to forget, but it does get easier,” Angel said. “I really hope my story will help others like me, because you do need that hope; otherwise, it’s hard to carry on.”

Dealing with profound loss can shatter anyone, but hope is what pulls us forward through the dark clouds until clear skies appear on the other side.