A mother has shared the heartbreaking story of her twin daughters, who fought bravely for life after arriving far earlier than expected — but sadly passed away just hours apart.

The mother had been admitted to Clovis Community Hospital after her water broke, believing she would remain there until delivery. She contracted throughout the night, but by the following morning, doctors told her there was no longer any way to stop the labor.

An emergency C-section was performed, and a medical team was assembled to care for the babies immediately after their birth because of how early they had arrived.

At 9 a.m., twin sisters Tava Grace Lemmons and Addison Rae Lemmons were born.

Tava, weighing just 1 pound 2.5 ounces, was the first baby delivered. Despite her extremely small size, she responded better initially and became stable enough to be transferred to a downtown hospital for further care.

Her little sister Addison, weighing only 15 ounces, was much more fragile.

Doctors placed her on full oxygen support as they fought to give her tiny body a chance. But despite every effort, Addison was simply too fragile to continue.

Her mother was given the precious opportunity to hold her daughter in her arms.

She stayed beside her little girl until Addison took her final breath at 11:01 a.m., just over two hours after she was born.

For the family, the heartbreak was only beginning.

While the mother was recovering from the emergency surgery, she received another devastating phone call from the downtown hospital.

Tava, who had initially been stable enough for transfer, was now struggling.

Her body had become extremely cold, and her heartbeat had fallen dangerously low. Doctors discovered that she was losing a significant amount of blood, but instead of leaving her body normally, the bleeding was affecting her brain.

Tava had suffered a brain hemorrhage.

Doctors explained that there was nothing more they could do to save her.

Unable to be physically beside her daughter, her mother was able to FaceTime with the medical team and see Tava as she was taken off life support.

At 3:34 p.m., just hours after entering the world, Tava took her final breath.

She was reunited with her sister.

Two tiny girls who had entered the world together had fought their own battles during their few precious hours of life — Addison struggling to breathe despite full oxygen support, while Tava fought through her fragile condition before a devastating brain hemorrhage became too much for her tiny body to overcome.

Their mother was left facing an unimaginable goodbye to both daughters on the same day.

In sharing her story, she asked family and friends to respect her privacy while she tries to process the overwhelming loss.

The twins may have had only a few hours with their family, but in those brief moments, they were deeply loved.

Tava Grace Lemmons
Born May 20 at 9:00 a.m. — 1 lb 2.5 oz
Passed away at 3:34 p.m.

Addison Rae Lemmons
Born May 20 at 9:00 a.m. — 15 oz
Passed away at 11:01 a.m.

Their lives were heartbreakingly short, but their story is a reminder of just how hard the tiniest newborns can fight — and how profoundly they can change the lives of the people who love them.