These beautiful twin baby girls have never left hospital as they desperately need open heart surgery, but are not strong enough to be operated on.

Tiny twins Natasha and Hermione Sutcliffe were born five months ago to devoted parents Matthew, 30, and wife Gemma, 32 but have a congenital heart condition, ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Both parents knew there was a risk the twins could be born seriously ill, as Matthew’s family has a history of heart problems.

But they never anticipated the heartache they are experiencing as Gemma stays in Dundee looking after their four other children, while Matthew is by the twins’ side in Glasgow.

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Due to money worries Gemma has only seen her baby daughters less than five times in the five weeks they have been treated in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow.

They have no indication yet of when they will be well enough to leave hospital, or even have surgery - but finally both twins are off life-support in hospital.

Natasha was taken off this week and moved to a ward to join her sister - a glimmer of hope that they may soon be moved to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where they were born.

Matthew said: "We just don't know if they will ever come home.

"When they were born the doctors were not shocked with their conditions, because of the previous scans they had done.

"When they were in Ninewells, my other kids got to visit them every day, we even spent Christmas with them at the hospital because we couldn't take them home.

"But since they have arrived in Glasgow, the children have seen them about two times, and Gemma has only seen them once or twice.

"It's a shame because I get to see them every day.

"We really want them to get the surgery but it's not about the size of them, it more about how strong they are, so hopefully they don't pick up other infections.

"The next operation will be the open heart surgery and doctors plan to do that in the next three to six months but it all depends on their health.

"It's so hard for us just now and especially for Gemma.

"She doesn't feel like she's getting the bonding time with them because she's so far away.

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"Having seen them recently, I can tell that Hermoine is the happy go lucky one, she's always smiling.

"But Natasha can be a little bit grumpy."

The twins were born in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and were tested for heart defects during pregnancy.

Tragically both were born with holes in each heart, and two operations were cancelled.

Natasha weighed 5Ib 4oz, and Hermione weighed 5Ib 3oz at birth.

For the first few weeks of their lives, they shared a neonatal unit at Ninewells.

However their health took a rapid turn for the worse and they had to be moved to Glasgow for specialist care - forcing Gemma to stay behind in Dundee to care for Jessica, 11, Joshua, ten, Simon, six, and five-year-old Kimberly.

Matthew has been staying at Ronald McDonald House Glasgow, and visits the babies every day.

Gemma said: "When I was pregnant, we were told that they could have heart problems - Matthew's side of the family had a history of heart problems too.

“They were getting monitored every fortnight so we were prepared for them to come out with heart problems.

"They kept them in the hospital when they discovered they had holes in their hearts.

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"They were then moved into intensive care."

Both of the twins have undergone stop-gap procedure to fit a temporary band, that medics hope will gradually slow down their health problems.

Gemma and Matthew and trying to fundraise money to buy equipment to help the twins hit the milestones they have missed.

Poignantly, their dad wrote it will be ‘nice when they are home to have everything they could imagine and then all this will seem like a dream to them’.

So far, more than £1,000 of a £10,000 target has been met.

Matthew wrote: “Let's make all six children's dreams come true and make it so every weekend from now me, my wife and all our children can be by their bedside and give the girls the best medicine - the love and warmth of having all your loved ones by your side, which I know will make them stronger as time goes on.”

To donate visit here.