While twin births rose 72% from 1980 to 2018, they remain uncommon—only about 33 in 1,000. Identical twins are even rarer, at 3 to 4 per 1,000.
So when 23-year-old Savannah Combs learned she was expecting identical twins, she was thrilled. Then came even rarer news: both babies had Down syndrome.
Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman, knew their daughters might face judgment, but Savannah saw them as “little gems.”
Despite being urged to terminate the pregnancy, Savannah chose to give her babies a chance. Born at 29 weeks on May 12, 2021, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman spent weeks in the NICU.
The twins are “mo-di,” meaning they had separate sacs but shared a placenta—rare on its own. Adding Down syndrome makes their case about 1 in 2 million.
Savannah, from Middleburg, Florida, documents their journey on TikTok, where their resilience has inspired thousands.
“They have feelings, a heartbeat, and can do everything others do—just at their own pace,” she said.
Despite criticism online, Savannah defends her daughters fiercely: “Good thing they weren’t born to you—they were born to me. God knew what He was doing.”