‘Dream Baby,’ Parted From Twin in Womb, Has Birthday

Little David Moller, who survived a dangerous fetal condition and an operation in which his twin brother was removed from their mother’s womb, celebrated his first birthday Thursday in the traditional way--with a party and a cake.

“He’s wonderful,” said his mother, Patricia Moller, 31. “He’s a dream baby. He always has a smile on his face.”

Moller and her husband, Randy, call David their miracle baby. Last year, in the sixth month of pregnancy, Patricia Moller’s physician discovered that David and his twin brother were in danger of dying from a rare condition called twin-to-twin transfusion. Blood and fluids were being pumped from one fetus into the other through an abnormal connection between their circulatory systems.

David’s twin, given the name Daniel by his parents, was delivered July 25 last year because he was continually losing fluids to his brother and was being compressed in the womb as his brother grew, said Ann Bethel, spokeswoman for Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where the operation was performed.

Died After Birth

Daniel died 36 hours after he was born. The premature delivery of one twin from a set was an unprecedented procedure, said Patricia Moller’s physician, Dr. Khalil Tabsh. He said that there was no chance Daniel would have survived had he remained in the womb, and that David probably would have died as well.

David was delivered by Caesarean section Aug. 6, 1986, two weeks after the initial operation. He weighed 2 1/2 pounds at birth, but now he is a healthy 23 pounds, his mother said.

She said David has had few physical problems since birth.

“He had a small hernia repaired, that’s all,” she said. “He’s standing up on his own. He’s trying to walk, but he’s not quite balanced enough yet. He jabbers all the time.”

David’s sisters, Amanda, 3, and Diana, 7, dote on their brother, their mother said. “They love him so much.”

And she and her husband had another reason to celebrate Thursday.

“I’m expecting another baby in February,” she said. “We’re so happy.”

But the new arrival will not bring twins, Patricia Moller said. “I was disappointed about that.”