Special Mother's Day as premature twins get ready to go home

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's a very special Mother's Day for a Germantown mom. Her premature twins are getting ready to go home after spending nine months inside the neonatal intensive care unit.

"This journey is unique but it is ours and it's when it's all said and done, it's beautiful," said Dashaya Kilgore, who is the newborn's mom.

It's been a beautiful and emotional journey for the Germantown mom and her twin baby girls Harli and Haili.

The twins were born very early at just 23 weeks, Harli weighing one pound, and Haili weighing just 15 ounces.

"I have never seen anything like that in my life, they were beautiful but they didn't look like babies," said Dashaya's mother Timmi Kilgore. "Although my daughter was hopeful, I was scared because I couldn't see how they could make it."

But Harli and Haili have overcome incredible odds, surviving numerous surgeries, infections, and life-threatening emergencies.

Soon the now 9-month-old twins will leave the hospital, going home with racheostomies and portable ventilators to help them breathe.

Dr. Kathleen Gibbs, head of Children's Hospital Chronic Lung Disease program said "Our pulmonary team here at CHOP will help provide support and then over time they'll look to decrease support on the vent and ultimately the goal would be to come off the ventilator."

Dashaya Kilgore says even though the journey continues, bringing the babies home, to join big sister Skylar feels like a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

"I am overjoyed, I'm happy, I'm excited, overwhelmed, scared, whatever challenges they face, whatever obstacles I am here with them and I believe in them," said Kilgore. "I am honored to be their mother and witness such a miracle especially as the world is so crazy right now."

Like many families right now, they are struggling financially, especially as they get ready to bring the twins home.

A friend has set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes it will help.