The life of Sandwell hospital doctor who almost died giving birth to ‘miracle’ twins during pandemic five years on

Dr Perpetual Uke, a consultant rheumatologist at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, has written a story about the traumatic and terrifying time for her and her family.

But her twins – daughter Sochika and son Osinachi – celebrated their fifth birthdays this year while Dr Uke wrote her book ‘Covid Coma to Twin Birth: Threads of Miracles’ documenting her experience, which fully sold out of its initial 500 copies on launch night last month.

Dr Uke was struck down with Covid in April 2020 when she was at 24 weeks of her twin pregnancy.

She was placed in an induced coma while medics decided to deliver the twins four months early by caesarean section in a bid to save all of their lives.

The 49-year-old mother-of-four came out of her coma to discover her children were fighting for their lives in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

They spent just over four months in ICU before finally being discharged to go home with Dr Uke, father Matthew and their two older children, Nnamdi and Chisimdi.

Dr Uke said: “2020 is a year I don’t want to remember but looking at the light it has brought to my family, we will be talking about it until the day I will leave this world.

“It changed my life, changed my family and everything about us. Even though in a negative way, we look at the light.

“It could have been worse. I wouldn’t have been here. Remember in 2020, there were a lot of people who died, and that’s one thing we have dedicated this book to.

I was feeling terrified (at the time). When the penny dropped, I was looking at losing my life, looking at losing the lives of the twins and not only that.

“The most terrifying part of it was, if all that happened, how would my husband Matthew cope with looking after our older kids. It would have been very difficult.

“I was in a coma for four weeks. I had quite refined dreams and I was thinking some of those things were facts. I was thinking (the twins) had died. I had vivid dreams what we call ICU delirium.

“I was in a wheelchair for a while as I couldn’t walk. But my husband and wonderful colleagues, I have, friends, relations, became my feet.

“I’m a Christian and I have very strong faith and I just held on to what I know what was above me and that was God. That hope and the care I received was able to pull me through.”

Once she had recovered, she would spend every day by the twins’ bedside in ICU until they were finally discharged.

Neither Matthew or their older siblings were able to visit due to Covid restrictions but enjoyed an emotional get together once they were home.

Dr Uke said both the twins had a tough time but are developing well, although Osinachi is still not fully developed.

But she said: “Developmentally, where they are is beyond the prognosis they were given.

“We celebrate any achievement they make. Whatever we get from them we see it as a bonus.

“Looking at them today, we know what we see today is a miracle. That is why the book has been called ‘Covid Coma To Twin Birth – Threads of Miracles’ because we are still expecting more to happen.”

Money raised from selling the book will go to the NHS charities that led their care and recovery.

Dr Uke said: “My children are now aware they came a bit early and know they would have died and wouldn’t have been here.

“They know they went through something, this is something we wanted them to know because when you compare them with their contemporaries, two or three years ago, they were quite far behind.

“But they have come to appreciate the fact NHS has made a mark in their lives and that’s why they are here. Imagine if they hadn’t got that care – they wouldn’t have been here.

“They are fully aware and talk to each other about the book. I never knew I would write. Whilst in ICU, I started writing and saw it as healing.

“I’ve come to pick up the importance of writing and reading. After prayers, the kids know they now read and can’t go to bed without it.”