In 2009, a mare named Princess gave birth at the teaching hospital at University of Minnesota St. Paul. It was a surprise birth, as Princess’ caretaker had no idea she was pregnant! But alas, the lucky staff was about to get an even bigger shock…
Princess gave birth to not one, but two foals — twins named William and Henry! Twin foals are very rare, and fewer than one percent of births are successful.
The staff feared the twins wouldn’t make it through the night. According to TheGeorgiaHorse.com, if one or both foals do survive at birth they often face many medical conditions, such as angular limb deformities, septic foals, insufficient colostrum, breathing abnormalities, blood disorders, and ruptured bladders. Unfortunately, William and Henry had all of these conditions, and more.
The medical staff and caretakers certainly had their work cut out for them. The foals had tubes coming from their noses; casts on their legs; catheters for blood transfusions; injectable nutrients and medications; and bottles of milk they grew strong enough to take. The heroic team worked tirelessly to keep the boys alive — and survive they did.
Finally, after three weeks of constant care and rehabilitation, William and Henry went home. A year later, they were both happy and healthy.
Meet these awesomely strong survivors in the video below, and please SHARE their story with your friends on Facebook!
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