Joy as twins reunited

ALMOST a year after being born, Tyler Blackman is finally home.Tyler and identical twin brother Trey were born on November 26 at the Royal Women’s Hospital.The twins weighed 1620 grams, or 3.57 pounds - little more than two loaves of bread.Trey rallied and is now like any rambunctious 11-month-old, but Tyler has fought for every breath.“I thought he wouldn’t make it heaps of times,’’ mother Chloe Jackson told The Advertiser yesterday.“It’s great to have him home, I love having them both together.’’Tyler was born with an airway difficulty that required a tracheostomy - the insertion of a tube into the trachea, or windpipe, to help a patient breathe - to fix.He spent the first four months of his life at the Royal Women’s Hospital and the next four at the Royal Children’s.Then he was transferred to Bendigo hospital.Tyler has this week been allowed day visits to his White Hills home.Not yet out of the woods, his blue eyes dance cheerily on a chubby face as Ms Jackson checks the medical equipment keeping her baby alive.If he spends longer than 20 minutes disconnected from the equipment, it is nigh impossible for him to breath.During sleep moments earlier, Tyler clutches the tube coming from his throat like a favourite toy.He may never know life without it.“Nobody can really say how long he’ll need the 'trachy', maybe 12 months, maybe less, maybe more,’’ Ms Jackson said.“We can’t really know.“At the moment we’re just taking one day at a time and enjoying every moment.’’Tyler last night slept at home for the first time - another milestone in his short life.He will spend a second night in his crib tonight before returning to Bendigo hospital tomorrow.Trey may soon be able to tell his twin exactly what it means to have him home.Until he learns to speak, however, Trey leaves his mother in no doubt about the bond between the two.“When Tyler was in Melbourne, Trey wasn’t himself in Bendigo,’’ Ms Jackson said.“But as soon as we’d go to Melbourne he’d cheer up again and be back to normal.”Trey crawled for the first time properly today. I think he’s just trying to show off to his brother.’’Ms Jackson says it’s difficult for the twins’ father Kale Blackman to spend much time with Trey. He’s at work for most of the hours from 8.30am to 6.30pm when his son is allowed home.She is full of praise for family and friends for helping her through the harrowing ordeal, but gives special thanks to her grandmother Sharlene.“People think 'she’s young and it must be really hard to cope' but because of everybody helping me it hasn’t been too bad,’’ the 20-year-old said.“There was no way I ever expected this to happen.“When I see people now walking around with their twins I wish we could be like them.“Some people talk to me about how their baby had to spend a week in hospital . . . my kid has been in there 11 months.“But, on the other hand, 10 years ago we would have lost Tyler, Because so much has changed they were able to save him.“It’s been a hard trot but we’re nearly at the end, I think.’’