JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s a Mother’s Day miracle for one local mom; she is celebrating being a mother for the first time this year with her twin boys.
The twins were born prematurely and the outlook wasn’t good, but after months in the hospital both boys are at home with their parents.
Tori Bayliss is enjoying her twin boys Hunter and Ryder as she celebrated Mother's Day for the first time.
She has wanted to be a mom for a long time and finally got her wish after some harrowing experiences.
Last year at this time, she was pregnant and on bed rest.
"It was horrible because we were told that we would probably lose them within 48 hours," said Bayliss.
The journey has not been easy for the family. Ryan and Tori Bayliss have been married for nine years.
Before their twins were born they lost a daughter due to a miscarriage.
But then the twins were conceived by IVF.
"We had tried to have babies for a few years so finally we were like let’s just go for it, fertility treatments, there’s lots of shots, a lot of medicines, it’s not fun," said Bayliss.
At 19 weeks into her pregnancy, Bayliss said doctors told her that she started showing signs that her cervix was weak.
Bayliss said she and her husband said many prayers and she shed a lot of tears back then.
On June 8, Tori went into labor and on June 9, the boys were born.
"I was thinking thank God we made it past 24 weeks because 24 weeks is when they have a chance of survival we were able to make it 26 weeks and six days," said Bayliss.
The twins, Hunter and Ryder, had to be rushed to the NICU.
Tori said she wasn't able to hold her baby boys until three or four weeks after delivery because they were in the incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit with tubes and cords attached to them.
After 4 months in the hospital, both boys are now at home laughing and playing.
Tori hopes her story will help give hope to other women that they too can become a mother, if they keep the faith.