But less than 48 hours later, Abby and Jason quickly realised something was wrong when Acer wouldn't feed at 4am and both appeared jaundiced and sleepy.

       After speaking to the on-call midwife, the couple, who live in Catterick, North Yorkshire, rushed the newborns to Darlington Memorial Hospital's emergency department early on Sunday morning.

       Doctors, nurses and consultants ran tests as Abby says the hours "felt like an eternity" as they desperately hoped for a diagnosis.

       But what was becoming heartrendingly clear for the new mum and dad was that a "life-threatening infection was rapidly taking over Acer's body" and he had to be admitted to theatre and placed on a ventilator.

       "Hours passed and we still hadn't been able to go see Acer in theatre," said Abby, 29.

       While Jason, 30, went to Newcastle's RVI to be with Acer, Abby stayed in Darlington with Axel whose condition was following that of Acer's just 24 hours behind.

       Initially doctors had hoped to take Axel off oxygen but suddenly he stopped breathing and Axel too went down to theatre to be put on a ventilator - in what Abby called "a nightmare version of the movie Groundhog Day".

       After what felt like endless calls, a bed was made available at Newcastle for Axel beside his brother.

       Eventually Axel was strong enough for a lumbar puncture to be performed which confirmed, once cross-examined with Acer's tests, that the twins had viral meningitis.

       Thankfully the little fighters became stronger and, by the end of the week, were taken off ventilators - although Axel was taken to theatre because his had kinked.

       He needed to be taken back into intensive care as it caused so much scarring in his airways that he was breathing through a pinprick.

       Finally the two brothers were reunited on the ward and on December 17, Jason and Abby were able to bring their baby boys home again.