Relief and hope as parents watch separated twins’ recovery

“I can’t wait to put them beside each other and them see each other,” said Christian, their father. “To be honest, I’m just so excited and anxious to see that moment. That’s going to be a great day.”

Mom and Dad had an immediate reaction of awe: Did you see that?

“It was like a wave of relief that just permeated my whole body,” Nicole said. “It’s a relief that I’ve never experienced before, but I’m so glad I got to experience it.”

From the time he’d gotten out of surgery at 7 a.m. Friday until that moment about 2 p.m. Monday, Jadon had moved only his right side.

Anias stares into the camera. His gaze is so captivating, his mother says, "it's like he looks at your soul. ... He's just a silent warrior. He's sweet and strong." Only 1 out of every 2.5 million live births results in twins conjoined at the head.

New life, apart: Rare surgery to separate brothers conjoined at head

Dr. James Goodrich, the neurosurgeon who led the 27-hour procedure to separate the 13-month-old conjoined twins, had assured the parents that the paralysis on Jadon’s left side was temporary.

But the McDonalds said it was only natural to worry about whether he would regain movement.

“Seeing is believing,” Nicole said.

Christian added, “We were just so glad to see that. It helps me to know that God is with us, that he’s helping these boys through this.”

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Anias, left, and Jadon McDonald were born conjoined at the head, something only seen in 1 out of every 2.5 million live births. They were separated in a 27-hour surgery at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York in October.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Nicole and Christian McDonald talk with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the family waiting area on October 13 as a team worked to separate Jadon and Anias. "When we sent them off this morning, to me, I felt at peace with it and just ready to handle what comes after," Nicole said.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Dr. James Goodrich Goodrich, left, leads a surgical team as they prepared to separate the twins. "Failure is not an option," Goodrich told the team as they got started.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

The twins' surgery was Goodrich's longest craniopagus surgery. It's meticulous, tricky and complex: A single cut too deep can lead to catastrophic bleeding.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Goodrich's team worked more than 16 hours just to separate the boys, and each continued surgery individually afterward.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/verbatim for CNN

Newly separated twins Anias, left, and Jadon in surgery at the hospital. Goodrich informed the family of the successful separation at about 3 a.m. October 14. "Well, we did it," he told them. When it was official, the room burst into spontaneous applause.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatin for CNN

Jadon recovers in the pediatric intensive care unit shortly after the surgery.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krisanne Johnson/Verbatin for CNN

Anias returns to his room after his head dressing was changed.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krissanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Jadon stretches his arms in his room within the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit. Anias rests in a nearby bed in the same room.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Courtesy Chris Grosso

Anias, left, stares at Jadon for the first time since the surgery that separated them.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Krissanne Johnson/Verbatim for CNN

Nicole McDonald, right, and her mother, Chris Grosso, with Anias in mid-November. Anias had to have his skull cap removed due to infection, but doctors say they are still pleased with his recovery.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Anias, left, and Jadon lie in a red wagon at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center on December 13 as they prepare for the next stage of their journey, two months after their surgery.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

The family was headed to the hospital's banquet hall on December 13, where surgical and pediatric intensive care staff members were gathered for a farewell party.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Dr. Oren Tepper, the twins' lead plastic surgeon, holds a thank you gift from the McDonald family presented to him at the farewell party.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Nicole McDonald holds Anias as his twin brother, Jadon, sleeps in the bed to the left. The twins' older brother, Aza, watches television at the hospital from one of the boys' beds shortly before they left for rehab.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Jadon, left, and Anias McDonald look up at hospital staff as they leave their room at Montefiore Children's Hospital in New York. Their older brother, Aza, proudly sits at the front of the wagon. It was mid-December and they were headed to rehab.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Nicole McDonald pushes a stroller with Anias as her husband Christian pushes Jadon down a hallway on June 14 at Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, where the boys have been rehabilitating.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Anias plays with a toy while laying on a mat in his room at Blythedale Children's Hospital.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Jadon eats small snacks and drinks from a sippy cup on his own, major progress since he first moved to rehab.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Nicole McDonald plays with her son Anias as Christian McDonald holds Jadon on a playground outside Blythedale Children's Hospital.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Nicole McDonald holds Jadon while looking over discharge information on September 1, as they prepare to leave the rehab facility and head home as a family for the first time.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Nicole McDonald takes Anias into the family's new house for the first time with his older brother, Aza.

Photos: Conjoined twins separated: New life, apart

Mark Kauzlarich for CNN

Christian McDonald holds his son Anias as Nicole McDonald checks on Jadon at home with the family dogs, Taz and Tyson.

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Since Monday afternoon, Jadon has progressed further. He started grabbing at his breathing tube Tuesday morning, trying to pull it off, his mother said from the boys’ room inside Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, where the surgery took place.

He also tracked his mother and father with his eyes and smiled at them.

“It’s restored a lot of hope,” Nicole said. “Seeing Jadon progressing the way he’s progressing gives me hope for Anias, too.”

Anias has continued to have seizures and is being treated with the medication Keppra, as well as Ativan for episodes that last longer than 30 minutes.

The parents knew that Anias would face the bigger challenge in recovery. His surgery lasted six hours longer than Jadon’s, and he had breathing problems, heart issues and seizures before the operation.

Twin 'warriors' battle through first weekend after surgery

Christian said they’re taking it “one day at a time and dwell on the positives.”

Added Nicole, “I know now that if I just stay patient that I’ll see the same type of progress for Anias. It’s just going to take time.

“It is all patience with Anias. There is no manual on this, so we just wait.”

During a Facebook Live with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, Anias fluttered his eyes ever so gently – the first time Nicole had seen him open his eyes since the surgery.

“He loves the camera,” Christian said.

Goodrich added, “He’s definitely more alert and looking right up at us.”

There was another first for Mom and Dad: Both boys have had gauze wrapped around their heads ever since surgery. On Monday evening, Anias had to have new dressing put on in the sterile environment of the operating room. Lead plastic surgeon Dr. Oren Tepper took a photograph of Anias without the bandages and sent it to the parents.

“It was probably my first moment of realization that they’re actually separated,” Nicole said. “It was surreal and unbelievable that he has this perfectly shaped head.”

Even under heavy sedation, Anias can feel their presence, she said. His blood pressure and heart rate calm whenever Mom is near.

“When I talk to him, his heart rate goes down, his blood pressure goes down, and he is calmer than when I move away from him,” she said. “His heart rate was 140, and I just did some massage of his legs, and it went down to 90, and (the doctor) said, ‘In just a minute, you made his heart rate drop like 40 points, just like that!’ “

Remarked Christian, “I guess that means they’re mama’s boys.”

Both parents thanked people for the support they’ve received from around the world. “We definitely couldn’t have done it without them,” Christian said.

Since the surgery started, their GoFundMe page has swelled from some $50,000 to more than $260,000. The family is now asking anyone who wants to help the twins to instead make a donation to a friend whose child is in need of a kidney transplant.