SERIOUS heart surgery didn't stop brave Jack Sutherland from planting a big kiss on his little sister's cheek.

As he woke from his two-hour operation, the 14-month-old had one wish – to see his twin, Isabella.

"We knew Jack would want to see her as soon as he opened his eyes," said 32-year-old mum, Vicky Sutherland. "And we knew that Isabella would want to see Jack.

"That's why we took Isabella with us to the hospital. They were reunited as soon as Jack was wheeled back on to the ward.

"They cuddled and then Jack had a good sleep."

The twins have been inseparable since their premature birth last year at the Royal Derby Hospital.

They were born 12 weeks early and stayed in the hospital's neonatal unit for 10 weeks.

But this week, Jack had his own battle to fight – heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital, in Leicester.

The operation corrected a heart murmur which had developed after his premature birth.

"The babies have done everything together," said Vicky, of Churchside, Willington. "And this operation has been no different. Jack was the one who had to go through it but Isabella was with him every step of the way.

"I knew that Jack would be more unsettled without Isabella – and she'd be the same without him.

"The simplest way to cope with the stress was to make sure they could be together straight after the operation."

The brave babies have overcome serious health problems, including low birth weight, infections and jaundice.

Jack weighed 2lbs 7oz and Isabella was 2lbs 1oz. They were born on February 26, 2009.

"It has been a worrying time from the moment they were born," said Vicky, who worked as a route analyst for BMI. "This operation has added to the pressure.

"We just wanted to get through it and get back home. It was our decision for us all to go to the hospital together.

"We didn't want to separate Jack and Isabella because we didn't think that they'd like it.

"From the minute they were born, they've been together and we didn't want to split them up.

"My mum had offered to look after Isabella so we could go with Jack, but it wasn't what we wanted."

Last Monday, Vicky, her husband Damian, 35, who works as an air steward, and the twins travelled to Leicester to prepare for the operation.

Jack had surgery on the Tuesday morning and the Sutherlands were allowed home the following day.

Heart murmurs are common in babies and young children. The majority are not a sign of a problem with the heart and can result from the fast rate at which children's hearts beat.

But in other babies, such as Jack, it can occur when the connections between vessels from the heart do not close after birth as they should.

Jack's operation worked to close off the valve, which had stayed open after his birth. Surgeons inserted a small cork to seal it.

"We were told about Jack's heart murmur after he was born," said Vicky. "We knew he'd need surgery when he got older.

"We tried not to think about it and worry but it has always been at the back of our minds.

We're glad it's all over and that everything went well.

"We've been anxious about it but nothing like when the babies arrived so early. Now that was a shock."

Vicky and Damian's twins were born minutes after they got to hospital.

Vicky went into fast labour and had to call for an ambulance.

Moments after they arrived, the babies, who were born after IVF treatment, were whisked to the hospital's neonatal unit.

"I hardly had chance to catch a glimpse of them before they were rushed on to the resuscitation trolley and taken away," said Vicky.

"I got to see Jack for a second but I don't think I saw Isabella hardly at all."

It was an hour before Vicky managed to see her premature twins. After she had recovered from their unexpected birth, she was taken to meet her babies.

"I was just happy that they were alive," she said. "I think I'd convinced myself that all was not good.

"I'm sure if I'd had delivered them at home they might not have survived. It took me ages to calm down, but seeing them did help me.

"It was quite upsetting, though. I never thought I'd have them so early. Doctors still don't know why I went into premature labour."

Vicky was staggered to see how tiny Jack and Isabella were.

"The doctors told us to keep positive but they made no assurances that everything would be all right," she said.

"All they kept saying was that it was early days and that we shouldn't expect too much.

"I was glad that both of them were together. They had their own battle to fight but at least they weren't on their own."

As the days went by, the twins showed small signs of improvement – but medics still prepared Vicky and Damian for the worst.

It was a whole week before the babies were strong enough to enjoy their first cuddle with their mum.

"That was lovely but at the same time I was a real nervous wreck," said Vicky.

"I was allowed to change their nappies and give them a little wash and that was brilliant. But as a mum you want so much more than that.

"I wanted to be taking them home and enjoying walks out with the pram – but that was out of the question until they gained weight and got better."

Every day Vicky visited the twins at hospital and spent time getting to know her babies. And when she left them in the evening, she always felt glad that they had each other.

Doctors said the first seven days were vital if Vicky's babies were going to make a full recovery after their premature arrival.

As well as needing constant oxygen, Isabella needed a blood transfusion and Jack battled to overcome a bout of jaundice."

"They had a mountain to climb but they did it. They're little fighters," said Vicky, who never missed a chance to be with her twins.

She would arrive at hospital at about 10am and rarely left before the evening.

"Sometimes when I got home, before I went to bed, I'd give the hospital a call to check on the babies," she said.

"It was so strange coming back to the house without them. I hated it so much.

"Jack was beginning to show real signs of improvement, but Isabella still needed lots of help.

"Jack was just five weeks old when he was strong enough to come off his oxygen, but little Isabella got an infection and that set her right back.

"She had to have all kinds of tests, but again, I was glad that the babies were together.

"I think Jack could have come home way before Isabella but I didn't want to separate them. It didn't seem right to split them up after they'd been through so much together."

Jack and Isabella were finally allowed home 10 weeks after they were born – two weeks before their actual due date on May 22.

"It was lovely to finally bring them home," said Vicky. "We'd waited so long for the day to come and then it arrived.

"Damian and I went to the hospital. It was really emotional. The nurses and doctors had been so good to us.

"It felt like a bit of a wrench to leave. We promised to keep in touch with the nurses and got the babies ready to come home.

"Getting back to the house was just amazing. It seemed so strange to finally be back here with them.

"It was how we always wanted it to be – but it had just taken us a bit longer.

"We instantly got ourselves into a routine and they've been fantastic."

Vicky and Damian were warned that the twins could encounter developmental delays but doctors are delighted with their progress.

At 14 months old, Jack is now crawling round the house and is showing signs of taking his very first steps soon.

Little Isabella is not mobile yet but Vicky thinks she will be crawling any day now.

"They aren't running everywhere yet," she said. "But I'm not bothered. I'm just glad that they're here and that they're well.

"I have friends with children of a similar age and I know the twins are a bit delayed, but I don't care. They'll soon catch up and then the fun will really start," she laughed.

"When I look at them I can't help but feel so proud and happy that they've done so well and achieved so much.

"We feel very lucky and extremely blessed. This journey has been a tough one. It's been more stressful than I can ever find words to explain.

"But we're happy and we're together and that means everything to us."