Last updated at 09:33, Thursday, 06 September 2012

IT has been an emotional morning for the parents, and grandparents, of children starting their first day at school today.

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It was a particularly proud occasion for the Morton family as four-year-old twins, Gretta and Honor, put on their smart new uniforms to start their first morning at St Columba’s Catholic Primary School on Walney.

The non-identical twins, of Askam, were premature babies, born at 28 weeks, with Honor weighing just 1lb 11oz and Gretta 2lb 7oz.

Their mother Sarah was rushed to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary for an emergency caesarian as she had severe pre-eclampsia.

Doctors had told her husband Neil that the first 24 hours was extremely critical for the girls, but also for his wife.

The twins spent a further 12 weeks in the Lancaster hospital, and a week at Furness General Hospital before they came home.

In their first year the sisters were back in hospital with bronchiolitis three times each, and Honor also had pneumonia.

Honor had reoccurring ear infections and her parents noticed her communication skills were not developing as quickly as her sister’s. She was diagnosed with deafness shortly before the twins started Happy Tots Day Nursery, in Barrow.

Mrs and Mr Morton are grateful for the support from the nursery, and the way they worked to help Honor progress with her communication.

Honor and her family use Makaton signing, and Happy Tots has encouraged all of its children to learn sign in some form.

Ahead of the first day, Mrs Morton said: “It’s a bit overwhelming really – from when we saw them in an incubator and we did not know if they would make it, and just to get to this stage, it’s brilliant. It’s a milestone. We are both very proud.

“When they went to Happy Tots that was really big milestone.We are so grateful to Happy Tots, they have given them such a fantastic start. They looked after us as a family.”

Mrs Morton said she was confident they had made the right choice in primary school.

She said: “St Columba’s has a very caring feel and I know they will be very happy. They love interacting with other children and that comes from Happy Tots.

“We want Honor to be immersed in a world of language. We want to her to be able to do any jobs she wants.

“The girls are quite excited. They are both ready for the challenge.”

First published at 15:55, Wednesday, 05 September 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk