While the birth of twins is relatively rare, the chance of conceiving identical twins is even more uncommon, with only about three to four sets of identical twins born per 1,000 pregnancies. But for Savannah Combs, a 23-year-old from Middleburg, Florida, her twin daughters were even more extraordinary than most.
At her 29-week pregnancy check-up, Savannah learned that her twins, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, both had Down syndrome—a condition that, combined with their status as identical twins, made them even rarer. The diagnosis came as a shock, and Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman, who was away at boot camp at the time, were devastated by the news.
Despite the challenges, Savannah made a courageous decision to carry her babies to term. She shared with News4JAX that every moment she spent with her daughters was a blessing: “Every [prenatal] appointment they were alive was a blessing to me.”
After being born two months early, Kennadi and Mckenli spent some time in the NICU before finally coming home. They are classified as mono-di twins—meaning they shared a placenta but had separate sacs. Savannah pointed out just how rare their condition is, saying, “Mo-di twins are already rare, and adding Down syndrome on top of it is like one in 2 million.”