PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — They were born prematurely and expected not to live, but on Friday, nearly 80 years later, twin sisters from Pinellas County returned to the hospital where they made history.
On August 2, 1939, Linda and Laura McMullen were the first twins born at Morton Plant Hospital. They came three months early, and what ended up saving them was an incubator created by the hospital. It was made out of wooden crates for citrus fruit, hot water bottles and light bulbs.
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“It’s wonderful that we have survived this long,” Linda said. “We’ve come a long way in all those years.”
All these years later, the twins came back to the hospital to be honored by friends, family and hospital staff for defying the odds and living long fruitful lives.
“We went to school together, we worked in our family business together and we live next door to each other,” Linda said with a laugh. “So, we have been very close.”
Her sister Laura agreed with that sentiment.
“It’s just great to be able to live this long and have a friend that is a sister to you and we take care of each other,” Laura said.
From the twentieth century into the twenty-first century, the two sisters continue to watch out for each other; and see other generations of twins after them continue in their path from this hospital.
They met the two latest twins born there on Friday after their celebration.
