Just hours old, they clasp their hands together and entwine their tiny fingers.
This is the moment baby Jaxen reached out to comfort his twin brother – who faced immediate treatment to save his life.
The photo of brotherly love was captured just 24 hours after the boys were born to Francesca Tackas and her partner Aaron Marriott, 32, a delivery driver.
Don’t worry, I’m with you: Baby Jaxen, right, clenches his twin brother Indy’s hand as he faces having an intravenous drip
Baby Indy – the youngest by nine minutes – had been found to have a chest infection, and needed an intravenous antibiotic drip.
Miss Tackas recalls: ‘Everyone was amazed at the bond the boys had so soon after birth.
‘Word quickly spread and we had doctors and nurses all popping in to see them in their cot. It was a very moving moment.’
The babies were born on June 25 at 38 weeks. Jaxen, the eldest by nine minutes, weighed 6Ib 1oz and his brother Indy weighed 7Ib.
All well: After four days in hospital the twins’ mother Francesca was able to take them home
However, their mother says: ‘Indy wasn’t breathing when he was born. And it took three midwives twenty seconds to resuscitate him. It was only seconds but it seemed a lifetime.’
Then six hours later as the couple celebrated their births, doctors detected Indy had a chest infection.
Miss Tackas said:‘It was the moment every parent dreads when you are told your child is sick.
Even after being allowed home by doctors, the boys share a close bone with Indy grabbing on to Jaxen’s finger
The twins sleep soundly as they hold hands. Their mother Francesca says that the pair are inseparable
‘While we knew antibiotics would most likely cure it, the thought of tiny Indy having a drip put in his hand filled us with horror.
‘It was then as the nurse was explaining the treatment that she suddenly stopped in amazement. She had just spotted Jaxen reach over to Indy. Then Indy put his hand out and Jaxen clenched it.
‘It was as if Jaxen was telling Indy that everything was going to be ok and not to worry. It was such a poignant moment and incredibly emotional.’
Thankfully baby Indy made a good recovery from his chest infection and the parents were able to take their little boys to their home nearby the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth four days later.
Miss Tackas said: ‘‘Having twins does feel special and it is going to be a joy watching them grow up together’
Miss Tackas, a hairdresser, added: ‘Even now they are inseparable. When we got them home we decided to keep them together as much as possible.
‘They adore cuddling up together as they fall asleep and quite often Indy is snuggled into Jaxen. Jaxen is already the big protective brother with Indy looking up to him.’
The non-identical twins, the couples’ first children, were conceived naturally.
Said Ms Tackas of her little boys, now aged seven weeks, ‘Although there is a history of multiple births on my grandmother’s side, it was still a surprise to find out we were expecting twin sons.
‘Having twins does feel special and it is going to be a joy watching them grow up together.