Olathe ? A 3-week old boy was in critical condition Saturday, a day after he and his twin sister were discovered in an apartment with their mother’s decomposing remains.

The girl died soon after being taken to a hospital while the boy was malnourished but “hanging on,” said Olathe Police Sgt. Jack Fahrnow.

A neighbor who smelled an odor coming from the apartment alerted police Friday afternoon. Once inside, authorities found the babies’ 36-year-old mother, who appeared to have been dead several days.

Authorities also noticed car seats and other baby items, prompting a more thorough search.

When a paramedic bumped the bed the twins were underneath, one of the babies made a weak cry. The other twin was too weak to cry.

“It was a miracle the paramedic noticed the child seat in the apartment and that the police questioned where the children were,” said Eric Gourley, a Johnson County Med-Act battalion chief.

An autopsy was planned to determine a cause of death for the mother, who was from Kenya.

Fahrnow would not say whether there were signs of foul play.

The discovery shook emergency crews, who asked to see a chaplain upon returning to headquarters.

“Dealing with babies and small children is very stressful,” Gourley said. “The little ones get close to you.”

Neighbors said they became worried when they hadn’t seen the woman for several days. Betsy Clayton said she spoke to the woman in passing and that she appeared to be pregnant about a month ago.

She also said she had seen the woman with children who were toddlers.

Three women who said they were friends of the woman said she was living alone. One said she had visited the woman in the hospital after giving birth to the twins.

Police said they are looking for possible relatives of the woman in the area.