Little Fighters

‘“I’m really worried about this scan,” I confessed to the pleasant-faced sonographer as I lay back on a clinical hospital bed anticipating the sudden freeze of cold gel. I tried to ignore the gathering dread in my stomach. I had longed for this, my third child, and today I was to see my baby for the first time. I had done everything I could to promote a healthy pregnancy, but I couldn’t help feeling that something was very wrong. I closed my eyes for a moment as she traced the probe over the swell of my belly. I was afraid to breathe. Then it came, that terrible moment when I watched her expression slowly darken as a creeping, cold sweat inched its way down my spine. I could hear her trying to control the growing panic in her voice as she whispered, “I’m seeing something here I’ve never seen before,” the colour draining from her face. “Your babies ... they are joined.”

‘These unimaginable words were to change my life forever.’

On 2 December 2009, two very special baby boys were born in a London hospital. Joined from chest to pelvis, Ireland’s conjoined twins, Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf’s heart-warming and remarkable fight for life against all odds earned them the title the ‘Little Fighters’. Written from the heart by their mother, Angie, this inspirational book takes the reader on a miraculous journey: from the life-changing moment she discovered her babies were joined, to the agony of their separation surgery.

A raw and honest account of devastation and courage, this is ultimately a towering story of hope. Featuring family photos, the book gives real insight into the parents’ remarkable strength, and the precious boys who brought a nation together—little boys who reminded us all that courage, hope and unconditional love are the true meaning of family.