TWINS born 14 weeks prematurely will celebrate their second birthday today.

Last year, Charlie Fletcher was so ill that the family could not celebrate, as he spent his birthday recovering from an operation.

But this time, he and his sister Alanniah will be able to enjoy their birthday together at home in Auckland Park, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

It is an event that their family feared they would never see, particularly as Charlie has endured a catalogue of serious problems.

He has suffered severe heart and bowel problems, breathing difficulties, a collapsed lung and fluid on the brain, and been diagnosed with meningitis, acute epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Their mother Martine, 31, said: "They're really looking forward to their birthday - and so am I. I didn't think I'd see this day.

"I had a really bad pregnancy and I was pleased when I got as far as I did.

"I was in so much pain, I didn't even realise when my waters had broken. But when they did, I was thinking that was it, they were going to die."

It was only 26 weeks into her pregnancy when Mrs Fletcher's waters broke, and she underwent an emergency caesarian section at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

"The care they took was second to none," she said. "They would not have been here if it wasn't for them."

Both children were frail and poorly - Alanniah weighed 1lb 14oz and Charlie 1lb 15oz - and put on ventilators.

Small but otherwise healthy, Alanniah returned home with Mrs Fletcher, husband Kelvin and older son Frazer-James after 12 weeks.

"There's not a thing wrong with her," said her mother.

"She's very small but with a big, big personality.

"She's talking, climbing stairs, she's everywhere she shouldn't be - she's a little miracle."

Charlie could not return home for almost seven months, and even then he was regularly in and out of hospital.

But Mrs Fletcher said: "He's fine. He's quite a chunky baby now, he's alert and he's the happiest little boy in the world."