Ciara Bowe, a 44-year-old mother from Cork, is preparing to embark on a heartfelt "trek of thanks" in the footsteps of the medical professionals who detected a rare and life-threatening condition during her pregnancy with identical twins. This inspiring journey aims to raise vital funds for the hospitals that played a crucial role in saving her sons' lives.
A Critical Diagnosis at 16 Weeks
In 2023, when Ciara was just 16 weeks into her pregnancy, she received devastating news. Her identical twins, Tadhg and Cathal, were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a rare condition where one baby receives more nutrients from the placenta than the other. This imbalance placed both infants in grave danger, with the potential for fatal outcomes if left untreated.
The Longest Walk of Her Life
Following pioneering surgery at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital to correct the blood and nutrient supply, Ciara faced an agonising wait. As a primary school principal from Ballincollig, she described the "longest walk of my life down the corridor for that scan to see if there was one heartbeat, two heartbeats." To her immense relief, the scan revealed two heartbeats and early signs of improvement.
"Both boys are now thriving," Ciara shared. "It's amazing that something so challenging in utero was so life-threatening, and had the potential to have such an impact, but we were just blessed it was caught at the early stage."
Fundraising in Gratitude
While the life-saving surgery was performed in Dublin, it was the ante-natal team at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) that initially identified the TTTS, giving the twins their best chance of survival. In gratitude, Ciara has embraced the CUH Charity fundraiser for May, called Walk In Their Shoes. This initiative encourages the public to match the daily steps of healthcare workers to raise critical funds for both the maternity and general hospital.
Ciara has chosen to match the 13,000 steps a day of Zac Dwyer, who works with the charity, and is urging the public to support her month-long fundraising effort. Her motivation extends beyond her twins' care, as her sister and father also received separate care at CUH, but the primary drive remains the exceptional treatment her boys received.
Overwhelming Odds and a Miraculous Outcome
Ciara vividly recalls a conversation with a consultant about the daunting survival statistics. In many TTTS cases, leaving hospital with one baby, rather than two, is considered the best outcome. "If it is not spotted, or you go without treatment, the odds are up to 90% that neither baby will make it," she explained. "When we went to the Rotunda, we were given a 25% chance that the surgery would save both."
Miraculously, both babies were born perfectly healthy at 34 weeks, with Tadhg weighing 6lb 6oz and Cathal, described as the "little warrior baby," at 5lb 9.5oz. Now two years old, they live with their dad Thomas Fitzgibbon and big brother Seamus, four, bringing joy and chaos to the household.
"They're all chat, they have that beautiful madness of discovering the world, walking and running and also the tears and tantrums," Ciara said. "In terms of development, they are exactly where they should be, they're thriving. They are our gifts, our blessings."
A Continued Commitment to Giving Back
This is not Ciara's first fundraising endeavour for CUH and CUMH. In 2024, she raised 36,000 euro (approximately £31,339) by walking 253km around Cork's streets and parks, a distance equivalent to travelling from Leeside to the Rotunda. Her ongoing efforts highlight a deep-seated commitment to supporting the medical community that safeguarded her family's future.
