The bond between siblings, especially twins, is immeasurable.
Lucas and Cooper Keen were born in April 2013. Their mom, Kerrie Keen, had an emergency C-section. Shortly after they were born, Cooper was rushed to the neonatal ward.
Of the twins, Cooper's health was first concerning, as he suffered seizures after he was born and his oxygen levels got dangerously low.
Cooper spent the first five weeks of his life in intensive care, as doctors tried desperately to figure out what was wrong with him.
"We didn’t know what was wrong. We were told he had suffered multiple brain bleeds. We didn’t have a clue what to think about it, it was awful," Kerrie told Daily Mail.
They did not know what had caused the brain bleeds, but one theory is that while the twins were still in their mother's womb, Cooper suffered a stroke. Another theory is that he was not getting proper nutrients from his mother's placenta.
While Cooper was in the hospital, a little over a week after the twins' birth, his brother Lucas was admitted to a hospital 25 miles away.
While Mom was worried about Cooper, no one expected young Lucas to also need a hospital stay. He was admitted to a hospital 25 miles away from where Cooper was admitted, as he'd lost too much weight after birth.
"The problem was because I was trying to breastfeed and pump for Cooper. I thought he was getting enough but he wasn’t," Kerrie told Daily Mail.
Mom had to travel between the two hospitals for five days while her sons were both under care. Once Lucas was released, he began visiting Cooper.
They would put Lucas inside Cooper's incubator and the brothers would comfort each other by holding hands.
After five weeks in the hospital, Cooper was finally released and allowed to go home with his parents. In October 2013, he was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluids in the brain.
They discovered his hydrocephalus as his head was still growing. He was fitted with a shunt to drain the excess fluid.
They noticed an immediate difference in Cooper after surgery. But 10 months later, the shunt stopped working and he was rushed back to the hospital.
He was close to a coma. Thankfully, with a new shunt he is doing better.
"After his operation he was giggling away, it was amazing," Kerrie told Daily Mail.
The twins are now close to their fourth birthday and attend the same preschool together. They are extremely close and have a unique and loving relationship.
Lucas is a very helpful brother, as he understands what his brother needs and loves to take care of him.
Cooper cannot walk on his own but he is being fitted for an electric wheelchair. His mom says that he can roll on his own, so she'll often find him on the other side of the room!
If you would like to contribute to Cooper's care and help his family adapt their home to his needs, you can donate to the Keen family here.
Please SHARE Cooper and Lucas' special bond with all your friends and family!
