Twins born after emergency dash by Northland Rescue Helicopter

Shelley Ngawati with her little treasures, twin boys, Tawhiri and Te Marino. Photo/ Supplied

Twin brothers Tawhiri and Te Marino are bubbly two-year-olds.

But their start in live was tough when they arrived three months ahead of schedule.

Mother Shelley Ngawati says it was thanks to the Northland Rescue Helicopter and a fast trip south to Auckland Hospital that she was able to have the boys safely, with an experienced medical crew on hand to deal with the premature duo.

"If it wasn't for the chopper I don't think my babies would be here. They were two little treasures that were a big surprise," Ngawati said.

"It was a scary flight. I was lying there with things happening in my body. I just wanted to get to Auckland as soon as possible because I knew my labour was normally very short."

The 33-year-old mother of five, from Kawakawa, was asleep when her waters broke on April 16, 2016.

It was a ambulance trip to Bay of Islands Hospital then Whangārei before flying to Auckland.

Northland Rescue Helicopters fly across the region to emergency calls.

The twins weighed in at a little over 900 grams each.After seven weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit they were flown back, one by one, to the Special Care Baby Unit at Whangārei Hospital where they were cared for another month. Three months after their sudden arrival the boys got to go home.

"People living in Northland need the helicopters. We have Whangārei Hospital and the great staff there but when our people need to go to Auckland fast, I don't know what we would do with out the helicopters in Northland."