Ky. Mom Pregnant with Conjoined Twins Holds Out Hope They'll Survive: 'I Know They're Fighters'

The twin girls share a heart wall and several organs, including a liver, which makes separating them incredibly difficult

A Kentucky mom in her third trimester is refusing to give up on her twin daughters, despite being told their chances for survival are low.

Charla Cook and her husband Logan first learned that they were expecting twins on June 11, according to a GoFundMe page set up on their behalf.

The news came as a pleasant surprise for the couple, who already had three children and were hoping for a fourth, according to CBS affiliate WLKY.

However, at the routine anatomy scan, which occurred more than 20 weeks into Charla's pregnancy, doctors realized that the twins were conjoined, the GoFundMe page stated.

"This had [gone] undiscovered the entire pregnancy leaving them with little to no options moving forward," the page reads. "It's a miracle that the twins have survived long as they have and [are] healthy all things considered... The best thing the hospital could offer was the option to terminate within 4 days."

Recalling that heartbreaking moment, Charla told WLKY: "We were very excited to welcome our fourth and final baby. But then to hear this news, it was devastating."

The couple refused to end the pregnancy but recognized that the journey ahead would be incredibly difficult.

Through scans, doctors were able to determine that the girls each have their own heart but share a heart wall and several organs, including a liver, WLKY reported. Due to their condition, doctors reportedly said a separation surgery would be impossible.

It wasn't until a team of doctors in Florida offered to perform the separation procedure (so long as the girls are healthy after their births, per the GoFundMe) that the Cooks began to feel a sense of hope.

"That's the only hospital that has told us that," Charla told WLKY. "So after we heard that news, we had hope for something after hearing so many negative things from so many places and professionals."

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According to the GoFundMe page, Charla is expected to deliver the twins via c-section by the end of September.

"From that point on, they will inevitably be in the hospital for months to follow," the page reads. "They will go through potential surgeries and many other medical necessities to fight for their lives."

To make matters more difficult, Charla and Logan will have to balance parenting their other three kids, who range in age from 21 months to 8, as they travel from their home in Louisville to stay in Florida, the GoFundMe stated.

"The family will have to rent a place to stay during the time spent in Florida for everything they will have to go through," the fundraiser reads. "Most places are not furnished so they will have many expenses come up. The family has 3 other children that will have to relocate as well."

Due to the "heavy" financial burden that they are expecting to face, the GoFundMe page was set up to help the family. So far, it has raised over $1,700 of its $80,000 goal.

"The family is leaning on God throughout this journey and trusting that things will work out how they are supposed to," the page reads. "Please pray for this family during this difficult time as they face many obstacles and heartache."

As her due date approaches, Charla is holding out hope that her daughters will survive and have a chance to live life as two separate individuals.

"I honestly pray for God just to perform some type of miracle," she told WLKY. "The girls have survived so far, so I know they're fighters."

Those interested in donating to the Cook family's GoFundMe page can do so here.