New year’s twins

News Articles

Winston-Salem Journal

New year’s twins draw national attention

By Thomas M. Williams Jr.

Just three days into their lives, local twins have made local, state and national headlines, and they haven’t done anything -- except be born.

Dylan Thomas Moles, twin sister Morgan Elizabeth and parents Vickie and Drake Miles have appeared on News Channel 12, ABC News 45, CNN and other television stations across the country. At 3:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the family was on MSNBC, NBC’s news channel. The television anchorwoman introduced the story National Enquirer style: "Now the story about some amazing twins. They spent nine months in the womb together, but were born a year apart."

Dylan arrived at 11:56 p.m. New Year’s Eve, weighing 7 pounds, with his 5-pound, 6-ounce sister holding out until 12:10 a.m., Making her the first baby born at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin in 1997.

The twins’ doctor, John Turrentine, said of the experience, "It’s kind of wild to think back on all that happened that night.

"I’ve delivered some 6,500 babies and a lot of those were twins, but this is the first time I’ve delivered twins a year apart," he said with a smile.

Turrentine jokingly said that Morgan could have been born a little sooner, but he had to stop to administer more medicine to the mother- and have a quick laugh with the father.

"I could hear them over in the corner laughing, because earlier in the night they were discussing about what time I would have the babies," Vickie remembered.

Turrentine expected the babies to arrive around 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve. "She was dilating so fast that we thought she would have the last babies of the year, not the first of the new year," he said. But at almost 10 p.m., "She stopped almost completely. That caused for some laughter. It was really wild that night," Turrentine said.

Running a distant second, Vickie’s nurse/coach, Melissa Freeman, gave birth to a girl--6-pound, 8-ounce Hannah Blake Freeman--at 4:24 a.m.

"When I found out (Melissa) was admitted, also, I asked who was going to help me through this," Vickie said.

"It was a surprise to realize that we were in the hospital at the same time," Vickie said. Turrentine said twins normally arrive earlier than expected, pushing Vickie’s due date up to mid-December.

Vickie said the twins showed signs of individuality three months into the pregnancy.

"(Morgan) was putting up a fuss then," she said as the proud father Drake Miles, paced the floor with little Morgan in his arms. The mother added that "all Dylan has done is eat and sleep; she’s the one that has been kind of wild." As Vickie spoke of her daughter, Morgan let out a cry from tine, yet powerful, lungs.

Admitting that they had not planned for the birth to be the first of the year, Drake said "We had joked about it, though. We told Dr. Turrentine that it would be nice for the twins to be the first babies of the new year, and he just shook his head."

The couple’s new bundles of joy experienced some tense moments, however. Turrentine and his staff had to uncoil the umbilical cord from around tine Morgan’s neck before delivery. Drake said it caused a few tense minutes.

"Dr. Turrentine and (pediatrician) Dr. Michael Bridges were wonderful, and they saved our daughter’s life. For that, I’ll be eternally grateful," he said outside his wife’s hospital room.

For having the baby of the new year at the hospital, the Miles’ get an extra 1996 tax deduction.

As fro that all-important question of how the twins will celebrate their birthdays--together or separately, Vickie answered, "They’ll celebrate them on different days. They’re two different people with different personalities."

"I believe that’s the way they’d want it," Drake said.

Drake, who is with the state Division of Motor Vehicles, was raised in Elkin. Vickie is from Forest City. They have lived in Elkin for the last 5 years.