EIGHT little bundles of joy know more than most about the importance of Macclesfield Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit.

For the first time in its history, the unit - which is under threat because of plans to streamline medical care for children and babies in East Cheshire and Greater Manchester - is looking after four sets of twins.

And one of the babies - Joshua Pope - actually owes his life to the intensive care wing whose staff acted swiftly when complications set in and he was delivered in an emergency Caesarean section. As the infants were preparing to go home, all eight tiny thumbs were up - when they were not being sucked - in favour of our campaign to save the hospital after being nurtured by devoted staff.

SCBU manager Julie Johnson said: "It is the first time we've had four sets of twins on the unit, it's lovely.

"It will be sad to see them all go, it will probably go a bit quieter but not for long - another set of twins are due to be transferred here next week."

Making It Better is consulting on options to change the children's inpatient, maternity and neonatal provision across the review area, from 13 sites to a reconfiguration of seven or eight hospitals.

Under Option A - the preferred option - services would move from Macclesfield, but our readers need to support Option D to keep them.

And the resounding message from the tired but overjoyed mums is please keep the unit local.

Vicky Pope, 25, a mortgage adviser with Britannia Building Society, said it was a complete shock to find out she was expecting twins but even more of a surprise when Joshua and Daniel decided to put in an early appearance at 33 weeks.

Vicky, from Congleton, said: "The day after I got back from a holiday in Scotland, my waters broke at 12.30pm, we got to Macclesfield Hospital at 2.15pm and my first, Daniel, was born at 3.45pm.

"But with Joshua there were complications and he just would not be born without intervention.

"When his heart rate went down I had an emergency C-section, I had not got the time to go to another hospital. I knew that complications could happen but didn't ever think they would."

Little Joshua was transferred on a ventilator to St Mary's in Manchester for more intensive care because he had breathing difficulties. First-time parents Vicky and dad Paul Bailey, a mechanic, were then torn between their two non-identical newborns until Joshua was well enough to be brought back after a week.

"Without that initial treatment, Joshua might not have been here, which is too awful to think about," she added.

Daniel weighed 3lb 13ozs and Joshua weighed in at 4lb 1oz.

Joshua came out of an incubator a week ago, and Vicky is delighted that she can take both her boys home this weekend.

"We thought it was going to be until April 3, when they were due, but I am so pleased to be taking them home together. The only silver lining to what's happened is that I have had 24-hour help, as a first time mum I am frantic anyway and will have resuscitation training before I go.

"The staff have been so reassuring, the help we have received, not just at birth, has seen us through a really horrible time and they have been really supportive."

Nurse Susanne Morten, 36, from Whaley Bridge, gave birth to non-identical twins Jessica and Helen on February 19, at Leighton Hospital, by emergency Caesarean.

Born at 33 weeks, the twins were transferred to Macclesfield after about seven days.

Jessica weighed 2lb 9oz, and Helen, 3lbs.

She said: "Leighton were fabulous but this is the best place for them. Please don't close this unit, it is so important, how would we go to Stepping Hill on the A6?

"If this unit was not here, I don't know where I would have to go. There is a really good supportive atmosphere in here and it's nice to talk to other mothers of twins."

Susanne and husband Neil, a farmer, are now looking forward to taking their daughters, who were due home on April 8.

"There was a strong history of twins in the family but we are absolutely made up, it's two for the price of one," she said.

Another set of non-identical twins are Russell and Laura Vidler's daughters Lilah, who weighed 5lb 1oz, and Adina, 4lb 3oz.

Teacher Vicky Atkins, 32, had to have an emergency Caesarean at 32 weeks because of complications with her blood.

Born three weeks ago at Tameside because the unit was full, non-identical twins Daisy and Frazer were transferred back to Macclesfield after five days.

Daisy weighed 3lb 1oz and Frazer, 2lb 10oz.

Vicky, who works at King's Junior Division, and lives in Alderley Edge, said: "It brought home the problems of travelling if the unit was not here, it's a long way for parents to go. We were doing the journey twice a day and it's a lot easier now it's only 15 minutes. To visit Special Care you have got to have it close and local."

Vicky and dad Simon, a computer consultant, are now looking forward to taking Daisy and Frazer home.

SCBU can house up to ten babies in cots or incubators, who are born over 31 weeks, and provides care for those born at Macclesfield or transferred from other hospitals.

These premature babies often need respiratory support or more assistance than full-term babies, and can stay on the unit for days, weeks or even months.

Julie said: "We are prepared for the unexpected at all times and right next door to the labour ward, which is very important."

Midwives who work in the unit have additional qualifications, there are always two advanced neonatal nurse practitioners on site as well as 24-hour consultants.

"We encourage families to be involved as much as they want to be. It is a small room but we encourage skin-to-skin contact with mothers and breastfeeding," she added.

The incubators are kept at a constant temperature and the lights are dimmed for a few hours throughout the day.

There are also short term intensive care facilities at the unit - babies can be stablised then transferred out to other regional units such as Leighton, Liverpool or St Mary's depending on the problem.