Community prays for Christmas miracle as twin toddlers remain in critical condition
The twin toddlers who were pulled unconscious from a backyard swimming pool on Tuesday remain in a critical but stable condition as family friends rally together to pray “for a Christmas miracle”.
Robbi and Charli Manago, aged 23 months, were found floating in the family’s swimming pool by their mother, Fleur.
Neighbours in the quiet Kellyville Ridge street heard Mrs Manago’s screams and came running to help, desperately performing CPR on the unresponsive children.
As Mrs Manago and her husband, Robert, keep a bedside vigil in hospital for their babies, the family’s Catholic church has rallied together.
The parents and friends committee of Our Lady of the Angels Primary School in Kellyville invited their followers to a community rosary to pray for Robbi and Charli’s recovery.
The members are also in the process of setting up a meal roster to support the family.
Another friend of the Manago family, Jill Johnston, took to Facebook to urge people to keep the twins in their thoughts.
“Please pray, meditate, light a candle, send positive affirmations or whatever your beliefs please please keep these gorgeous babies and the family in your intentions! I believe in Christmas miracles.”
Robbi and Charli are the youngest of six children for Mr and Mrs Manago.
The residents on Charbel Place in Kellyville Ridge were shocked at the news.
Michelle Skevington and her husband were first on the scene and administered CPR to the youngsters as an ambulance was called.
"We just kept going and going and going until the paramedics arrived and I was so pleased to see the paramedics,” she told 7 News.
"We may have saved those children's lives, I'm not sure I hope like hell we have, but we may have saved their lives."
Police checked the swimming pool fence and confirmed that it was adequate, but said the incident was a timely reminder for parents to be vigilant.
The Australian Medical Association echoed the comments, saying the recent spate of backyard pool tragedies shows how dangerous water can be for children.
"Children, particularly toddlers, are naturally curious and drawn to water. And while it's easy to get distracted, we need to be extra vigilant when kids are near pools," AMA NSW President Professor Brad Frankum said in a statement on Wednesday.
