A GREAT Sankey mum has been thanking the hospital team who saved her life and her twins after beating the odds to give birth to them.

Clare Crook’s miracle babies Emily and William are now six-weeks-old and thriving at home after an incredibly traumatic labour at Warrington Hospital.

But it was a point the 34-year-old and her husband of eight years Ben thought they would never get to after the shock of being told two years earlier Clare had gone into premature menopause which affects one in 10,000.

After an unsuccessful IVF attempt at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the couple then turned to the UK Cypriot Fertility Association and after another failed attempt were on the brink of giving up.

Clare added: “Financially it wasn’t viable to try again and emotionally after everything we had been through in the previous 24 months we decided if it didn’t work that would be it.

“So to see two little fluttering hearts on the scan was just phenomenal and made it all worthwhile in the end.”

Labour was initially straightforward for Clare giving birth to first twin Emily but after fainting several times doctors diagnosed Clare with amniotic embolism, a condition which affects one in 80,000, and performed an emergency caesarean.

She then spent 24 hours in intensive care while William was rushed to Arrow Park hospital on the Wirral after concerns he had been starved of oxygen while doctors tried to stabilise Clare.

She added: “The worst thing was waking up to find both babies and my husband were not there.

“I had to wait five days to see William for the first time and when I finally got to see him I couldn’t stop sobbing.”

The family have now said they cannot thank the staff who saved her life enough and praised the neonatal team for their support.

She added: “On so many occasions the kindness of staff was above and beyond the call of duty.

“I feel in different circumstances I wouldn’t still be here to tell my tale and I want to pass on my gratitude to all those involved.”