New parents Helen and Frank Butler were rejoicing the arrival of their newborn twins on this day in 1983, as the Royal Canberra Hospital saw the arrival of the ACT's first pair of in vitro fertilisation twins.
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After at least six unsuccessful years of trying, the parents decided to resort to the IVF program, feeling as though it was their only hope.
The pair were accepted into the IVF scheme at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne in 1981. The following year, they received the call to go down to Melbourne for the treatment.
After their visit, they returned to Canberra to begin an anxious six weeks as they awaited the results.
At the end of the wait time, they received the wonderful news that the treatment had been successful, and they could expect twins to be joining their family the following year.
This expectation became reality as Caitlin and Nicholas Butler were born on January 10, one minute apart. Caitlin arrived first, weighing 2.61 kilograms, followed by her brother Nicholas, who weighed 2.9 kilograms.
The parents' home in Kaleen was ready to welcome the new arrivals, with a nursery equipped to house the twins.