IDENTICAL twins Maryam and Mia were born with a rare form of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. The condition means their bones are weak and prone to fracture - between them, they have broken hundreds of bones already at only four years old. When they were born, doctors found multiple fractures from their shoulders to their legs and the twins' parents Rayan and Mohamad were told to prepare for the worst. As mom Rayan told Truly: "They would basically say, 'We don't know if they're going to make another day, another week, another month.' They had zero hope for the girls - and we almost lost them, twice." But after being referred to OI specialists, Maryam and Mia started to turn a corner and after several months in the NICU, the twins were finally able to go home. From then on, the twins' parents were determined to give them the best quality of life possible - Maryam and Mia have had various bones "rodded" with metal inserted to strengthen their bones and also receive regular infusions. But perhaps most importantly, Rayan and Mohamad enrolled the girls in every therapy available to them - and, four years on, Maryam and Mia are thriving: "They're not on oxygen, they don't have feeding tubes, they can sit up, they can move, they can roll. Now I am confident that the girls will be able to be independent." And now that the twins have a younger brother - Yusuf, 2 - Rayan is grateful for the "beautiful" life the family are building together. Although Yusuf is still learning to be gentle with his sisters, "the older he gets the more he understands" and Rayan is choosing to focus on the bright future that lies ahead for Maryam and Mia: "Our journey started with pain, but I know it's going to have a really nice happy ending for the girls."
Follow Maryam and Mia:
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https://www.youtube.com/@OurLittleMMs
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