Beating the odds: Rare type of twins born to couple from Tiffin

Sept. 14, a rare set of twins were born to Tiffin resident Merissa Perry. Known as mono mono twins, the identical boys, Gabriel and Elliott, shared the same placenta and the same amniotic sac, said Perry's husband, Chris Perry. The chances of survival were about 50 percent, Chris said, and the rarity of his wife's pregnancy was one in every 50,000 sets of twins. "They told us it was a 50-50 shot because having the same amniotic sac, they could entangle themselves with their (umbilical) cords," he said. "When they came out, it took a good minute to untangle their cords," Chris said of the birth. Now doing well at Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center, where they were born by caesarian section at 30 weeks gestation, the boys might come home in November on their original due date. "Right now, we're doing really well," Chris said. "As long as we progress, we're still looking at the due date, which was Nov. 20." "I've never been a fan of hospitals until we went there," Chris said of St. Vincent. "The nurses and staff are amazing up there." Chris said Merissa, who is staying at Home Away from Home near the medical center, is able to be with the boys every day of the week. He, however, only typically travels to Toledo every other day because he still is working full time at National Machinery. "National Machinery has been really supportive," Chris said. "They've been really good about time schedules." Jinny Cochie, a former National Machinery employee and friend of the Perry family, said she has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the hospital expenses. Although the family has not received all of the medical bills because the boys are still in the hospital, Chris said expenses already are high. Each ultrasound during Merissa's pregnancy cost $1,000 and the C-section cost around $65,000. Merissa's stay in the hospital during her pregnancy was close to $15,000, he said. Luckily, the family has insurance, he said. "He's not one to ask for help," Cochie said. "They're good people. They're hard-working people. I feel like those are the people we need to help." Cochie said she decided to start The Perry Twins GoFundMe page after visiting them in the hospital and seeing all that it takes to keep the twins alive and well. "After seeing all of the equipment, I realized they have to have financial worries," she said. "He works full time and has been going back and forth to the hospital." Cochie said a bank account at Croghan Colonial Bank also has been opened. There, donations can be made to the Chris Perry account, she said. "If it wasn't Jinny putting it on, we wouldn't have it," Chris said of the fundraising efforts. "We'll give to donations all the time, but the idea of having one in our name … We'd rather just put our nose to the grindstone and get it done." "But we're appreciative of it," he added. "To see everybody who is donating, even the tiny amounts, it's heartwarming."