Louisville family welcomes conjoined twins, raises money for surgery

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Charla Cook's fourth pregnancy started out just like her other three before, but her excitement soon turned to worry.

In March, Cook discovered she was expecting what she thought was her fourth child. It wasn't until three months later that she learned she was carrying twins, and they were conjoined.

"We were warned that nothing was certain, nothing was promised and that even one of them may pass away," said Cook.

In late August, Cook says she learned she would have to deliver sooner than expected and on Sept. 1, the mom welcomed her daughters, Lakelyn and Laylie.

Cook says her six-year-old daughter Layla has nicknamed her sisters Baby A and Baby B. The pair now wear pink and blue hats with each letter written on the bows.

Sister Layla holds twins — Layla holds her twin sisters.

"Our daughter, she's the one who wanted a sister so badly, so she's been head over heels and constantly wanting to hold them," said Cook.

Cook has two other children, an 8-year-old boy named Liam and a 2-year-old boy named Lux, who she says love taking turns feeding their newest sisters.

The twins spent a few days in the NICU at Norton Children's Hospital before the family got the green light to bring them home.

"We kept saying there were other babies that were in there that were just alone, you know? So at least they have each other. They're never alone. It just gave us some comfort that when we couldn't be there, at least they had each other," said Cook.

The girls each have their own oxygen tank and feeding tubes, which are regularly monitored by both the family and a nurse that visits daily.

"It's been overwhelming and that's the best word I can use," said Cook. "It's definitely not been ideal, it's been very emotional for me."

Like any new parent, Cook says a lot of sleep isn't regularly achieved, but the exhaustion is made worse by the fear that something could happen at any moment.

"I think about it all day everyday I feel like. I don't want to be negative and think anything will happen, but also I am a mother, knowing of the possibilities that heart failure could happen at any time," said Cook. "I'm just blessed that God chose me to be able to be the person caring for them and loving them while they're here with us."

Cook says the babies have done well being at home surrounded by family and says her faith keeps her going when the fear creeps in.

"Surviving the pregnancy alone just shows how strong they are," she said. "We have to take it day by day, but we're blessed for the good days that we've had. We can't ask for anything more at this time except God's miracle."

As long as Lakelyn and Laylie continue growing and developing like they should, Cook says a team of doctors in Florida have agreed to perform the surgery.

The surgery is expected to cost thousands of dollars and potentially require the family to relocate to Florida due to a long recovery period.

A GoFundMe has been set up in order to help the family raise money and support the twins' journey. If you'd like to contribute, click here.