TINY twins Daisy and George Nicholson are looking forward to enjoying their first birthday -- a joyful celebration which nearly never happened.

The little bundles of joy were born two months prematurely after complications meant their mum Alice had to be rushed into hospital.

The brother and sister were born by Caesarean section. Daisy came first, weighing just 3lb 5oz, closely followed by the even tinier 3lb George.

They spent nearly seven weeks in the special care baby unit at the neo-natal unit at Fairfield Hospital, being cared for in incubators.

Even when they were allowed home, Alice and her husband Matthew had to take oxygen with them to help George breathe.

Now, however, the babies are fine and the couple, from Bury, are getting ready to celebrate their birthdays next month.

Alice, aged 38, said: "We are going to have a small party in the house with family and friends. We wanted to do something after what happened.

"Thank goodness, both of them are now absolutely fine and, apart from normal infant illnesses, are really healthy."

Alice and Matthew, aged 34, who both work at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, were delighted when they found out in August 2001 that Alice was pregnant and expecting twins.

She said: "We were both looking forward to the birth in May, but my waters broke at just over 29 weeks, so I was rushed into hospital.

"I stayed in for two weeks, went home for the weekend, then learned that George was suffering oxygen restrictions so, on March 11, I went back into hospital for some scans and, ultimately, a Caesarean."

Alice and Matthew are now getting ready for the birthday celebrations on March 13. They thanked staff at Fairfield Hospital and also the Hospital Saturday Fund health cash plan, which helped them with the financial side of looking after two babies.