After years of trying to conceive, a Houston couple was considering adoption rather than giving up on their dream of having a child. Unbeknown to them, the world had something truly touching in store for them.
Miracles do you think happen? There are times in life when life surprises us in ways we never expected, inspiring us to believe that our deepest desires can come true.
The story we’re sharing today touches on a similar topic, and we hope that after reading it, people will desire to believe in miracles.
David and Lauren Perkins, who lived in Houston, were a happy married couple. As most couples do, they dreamed about having a family and having their home filled with the cackles of children.
Lauren had always wanted to have a child, and she had tried to conceive for a year. There was no success, and she didn’t know what to do to fix the problem.
One day, she and her husband took a vacation in order to gain greater clarity about their next steps. The Perkinses packed their belongings and left for Nicaragua without hesitation.
The couple made many new friends during their journey. Lauren summoned the courage to speak honestly about her inability to conceive while she was there.
She also thanked the medical staff, particularly the doctors and nurses at the NICU, for caring for her premature babies.
After hearing her story, a priest assured her that God had great plans for her and she would soon receive good news. The priest’s unexpected announcement caught Lauren off guard at the time.
After their trip, the couple returned to Texas. Lauren said she didn’t give much thought to the priest’s words. She and David instead decided to try artificial insemination. Nevertheless, the woman was adamant it wouldn’t make a difference.
When the Perkinses discovered Lauren was pregnant, they were about to give up on their dream of having children. During her first routine check-up, the nurses informed her that her HCG levels were extremely high.
As a result, Lauren was almost certainly pregnant with multiple children. It seemed impossible that the couple could have twins or triplets after overcoming so many obstacles.
Lauren was shocked to discover how many lives were growing inside her during her ultrasound. Her doctor examined the screen before telling her the terrible news. She remembered:
“I count five there,” he said. I thought that was impossible. ‘Wait a minute,’ he said. “I just had my sixth child.”
Lauren had to choose between carrying all the children or minimizing their number. Despite the slim probability that all six infants would survive and the possibility of problems, she and David chose the latter option.
Lauren was in week 30 when she was rushed to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston on April 23, 2012, where she gave birth to s.e.x.t.u.p.l.e.t.s (three boys and three girls) ten weeks early.
Weighing between one and two pounds, Andrew, Benjamin, Caroline, Leah, Allison, and Levi were all born. According to reports, Lauren’s pregnancy had a one in four billion chance of happening. She described herself as follows:
“I didn’t expect to see my babies until the next day, but on their way up to the NICU, each baby’s team rolled them past me one by one, and I got to touch their small fingers.”
The babies were too sick to stay with their parents for a few days. Lauren remembered fondly how it felt to hold Allison for the first time on her fourth day. Her words:
That moment, when I got to hug my baby, was when I became a mother…of s.e.x.t.u.p.l.e.t.s.”
The young ones survived the critical period and gradually recovered. Despite weeks of intensive care from the neonatal staff, the Perkinses were able to keep their pack of six.
Five of the six babies were sent home at four months old. Little Leah remained in the hospital for some time because she was so small and had trouble finding room within the womb. Her mother told TODAY:
Since she was physically buried behind everyone else in the womb, she didn’t receive enough nutrients. She had a developing brain.”
The Perkinses had no idea how difficult caring for their sextuplets would be. Thankfully, they had the right support system in their family and neighborhood. In an interview with the BBC, Lauren said:
“I knew we couldn’t do this alone. We would need help.”
Her neighbors assisted her in caring for the babies and according to their various needs, according to the Houston resident. Also, she expressed gratitude to the medical team, including doctors and NICU nurses, for caring for her premature babies.
This year marks the tenth birthday of the six angels. When Lauren and David became parents to sextuplets, their lives were turned upside down. Lauren had the following to say about her experience:
I call it “semi-controlled chaos.” Especially in the first year, we had to get really organized and scheduled.”
Leah, the couple’s daughter, had a difficult childhood. Leah, she continued, began school alongside her siblings. Lauren describes her sweet child as “full of fun and brightness from her family.”
Source: upworthy.com
0 Comments