While the chances of giving birth to twins increased 72 percent between 1980 and 2018, it’s still pretty rare. About 33 out of every 1,000 births are twins.
And what are the chances of identical twins? Approximately every three or four births out of every 1,000 are identical twins. So again, relatively rare.
When 23-year-old Savannah Combs found out she was pregnant with twins, she was thrilled. And then she learned another rarity, they both had Down syndrome.
Of course, it was emotional news. Savannah and her husband, Justin Ackerman, knew that some people would judge her and her babies because of their condition.
But to Savannah, that’s what makes them incredibly precious.
“It’s very rare what they have, but they’ve been my little gems,” she told News4JAX.
Savannah, who is from Middleburg, Florida, shared her post-pregnancy journey with her daughters Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, on TikTok where they quickly gained a following.
In one of her videos, Savannah said she was told to abort her babies because they would not make it.
She decided to keep them and give them a fighting chance.
”Every [prenatal] appointment they were alive was a blessing to me,” Savannah explained.
When she learned they both had Down syndrome, her husband was away at boot camp.
Savannah was 29 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to the hospital, and delivered her daughters. The identical twin girls, Kennadi Rue and Mckenli Ackerman, were born on May 12, 2021.
The twins arrived two months before their due date, so they had to spend several weeks in the NICU before they came home.
They’re called mono di twins, meaning that they had their own sacs, but they shared the same placenta, meaning that they were going to be identical,” she said.
“Mo di twins as it is, it’s like very rare. And then you throw Down syndrome on top of it, it’s like one in 2 million.”
Despite their rare condition, Savannah said they are just like any other child.
“They have feelings. They have a beating heart. They know how to talk. They know how to do things you do. They will get there,” she said.
“Like I said, it may be a step behind but they’re going to do it. I’ve learned these kids are feisty little things and happy little things.”
Some of us still remember when “typing classes” had to be taken on actual typewriters
A few of us can still recall the days when “typing classes” required using real typewriters.
It is almost impossible to imagine that there was a period when typing had a tactile, almost rhythmic quality in an era when computerized screens rule our communication.
Our fingers danced across keys in a complete ten-finger ballet, not the constrained choreography meant for smartphones.
The medium for this dance was the typewriter, the mysterious device that ran on paper and ambition and required no electricity at all.
The late 1800s saw a great deal of advancement in communication technology, which is when the typewriter first came into being. Relics from this era are housed at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where curator Kristen Gallerneaux shows that the typewriter was not an immediate hit.
Its origins were largely due to Milwaukee printer Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden, who were inspired by a magazine article to design what would eventually become the first typewriter to be commercially successful.
The invention of Sholes and Glidden, who called it after themselves, was a technical miracle. It struck a compromise between the precision necessary for legible typing and the need for durability to withstand users’ need to “bang away on the keys.”
The typewriter took a while to become well-known despite its inventiveness; it didn’t take off until 1874.
The typewriter was a marvel of design as much as a technological achievement. The QWERTY keyboard layout, which was popularized by the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and is still in use today due to its efficiency in minimizing letter jamming by separating frequently used pairings, was introduced.
Centuries later, this keyboard layout’s answer to a mechanical issue unintentionally influenced how we use them.
The typewriter started to change the American workplace by the late 1880s. A notable change was brought about by the invention of the typewriter, which at first was used mostly by men.
By 1910, women accounted for nearly 80% of professional typists, a significant shift in the office setting.
This change was a social revolution that redefined gender roles in the workplace, not merely a technological one.
Innovations like the Nodin typewriter were the result of the search for a quieter typing experience. Its moniker, a witty reference to its silent functioning, perfectly captured the way typewriter design has continued to advance.
Even though the Nodin is a unique find, its presence demonstrates the inventive lengths inventors were willing to go to in order to enhance typing.
We haven’t even discussed electric typewriters in our history, which added a new level of convenience and noise to the typing experience. Nonetheless, early typewriters’ tactile feedback and straightforward mechanics have left a lasting impression on those who have used them.
Many individuals still enjoy listening to the old-fashioned clickity-clack sound of the keys.
The story takes a pleasant detour and returns to the act of typing. One of these old machines is available for you to type on, thanks to the curator at the Henry Ford Museum. The sensation serves as a sharp reminder of how physically demanding typing on a typewriter is, in sharp contrast to how natural typing on a modern keyboard is.
It’s a nostalgic moment that serves as a reminder of the development of writing technology and the timeless allure of typing.
The typewriter is a link to a lost era of communication because of its intricate mechanical design and lengthy history. It is a sentimental stroll down memory lane for those who recall. It’s an invitation to those who are unfamiliar with typing to discover the tactile delights of a world where words were created physically and each letter carried weight.
The typewriter is a monument to the human need for connection, communication, and creation even as we enter the digital age.
Watch the video below to find out more about the complex and fascinating history of the common typewriter! Kindly DISPLAY this to your loved ones.
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