A California couple have welcomed home the healthiest set of quintuplets ever born according to doctors, in addition to their big sister Gianna.
Returning to their Fullerton home on Wednesday Meryl and John Ferraro were greeted by a banner reading 'Welcome home GRACE + 1.'
With so many children, three girls and two boys in addition to their two-year-old big sister Gianna, the parents say it may be easier to refer to them all using a simple acronym for: Gabrielle, Riley, Addison, Cooper and Emerson.
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Happy family: Meryl and John Ferraro sit among their new family of six children, with oldest Gianna seated between one-month-old infants Gabrielle, Riley, Addison, Cooper and Emerson
Miracle babies: Mrs Ferraro nearly lost her babies 18 weeks in after a doctor found her prematurely dilating, undergoing what would be a life-saving surgery their doctor didn't think they'd survive
'We figured we would eventually forget their names, so if we yell "GRACE" they'd all come running,' Mrs Ferraro playfully told CBS Los Angeles.
Today appearing in good spirits with the added assistance of community members donating time, money and household baby items, it was just one month ago she gave birth via C-section to the healthy brood at an Arizona hospital.
After several hours of labour, it took less than three minutes to deliver all five with '24 people or so in the Operating room, and another 40-50 people in the baby recovery room,' writes the proud father in their family blog.
But that can't hold a candle to the both physically and emotionally intense pregnancy the mother had to first fight through.
Lined up: All five babies are seen wearing the first letters of their names as Gabrielle, Riley, Addison, Cooper and Emerson
One name: Returning from the hospital on Wednesday the family were greeted by this banner reading 'welcome home GRACE + 1,' an acronym for all of their children's names
After several miscarriages and years trying to give birth, it was an infertility specialist in December of 2008 that brought them their oldest daughter, Gianna.
'He said he supported us with whatever decision we made but ... keeping all 5 was too risky and the statistics showed that at least 2-3 of our babies would have significant health issues'
- Father John Ferraro
Trying again, it was earlier this year they found themselves successfully pregnant again.
Successful at least, until the first ultrasound found two sets of heartbeats that gradually escalated to five bringing a number shockingly unexpected by the couple - though joyfully welcome - even with their doctor's grim warning.
'He spent over an hour telling us all the statistics and dangers that faced our little ones; blindness, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, autism, mental retardation, even death.
'He said he supported us with whatever decision we made, but he clearly implied that fetal reduction as the best option for having healthy babies. Keeping all 5 was too risky and the statistics showed that at least 2-3 of our babies would have significant health issues,' Mr Ferraro wrote.
Loved: Two-year-old big sister Gianna kisses the head of one of her younger siblings who underwent a difficult pregnancy and nearly didn't make it
Welcome home! Two of Mr and Mrs Ferraro's infants are seen after their return home on Wednesday
Big success: With the couple having tried unsuccessfully for years to have children their birth is a miracle in many ways
With a doctor suggesting they, in Mr Ferraro's words, 'choose which of our babies would live and which ones would die,' after traumatic thought and consideration, they decided in the end: 'if God was giving us 5 babies, there was a reason.'
THE QUINTUPLETS:
Gabrielle: 4lbs, 6oz and 18 1/4 inches
Riley: 5lbs, 7oz and 18 inches
Addision: 4lbs, 2oz and 17 1/4 inches
Cooper: 5lbs even and 18 1/2 inches
Emerson: 4lbs, 8oz and 18 inches
The couple's struggle didn't end there though.
In June, 18 weeks into their pregnancy, their doctor issued another warning to the couple after an ultrasound.
Mrs Ferraro's cervix was opening up, dilating to 4cm by the next day with her amniotic fluid or bag of water seen 'bulging out like a balloon,' according to the father.
Undergoing an emergency surgery to close the expanding gap that would otherwise cause her to go into premature labour, losing the babies, their doctor later said he didn't think the babies would last more than a week.
But they did.
Speedy delivery! All five babies were delivered in under three minutes' time while weighing 4-5lbs
Proud pop: The beaming father looks down on one of his five newborns at an Arizona hospital last month
Temporarily relocating to Mesa, Arizona for their delivery, following their doctor's move, on September 26th, Mrs Ferraro gave birth to the quintuplets all weighing between four and five pounds.
Returning home this week, they also arrived 'a full 8 days gestational age prior to the previous record for a set of Quintuplets,' the overjoyed father wrote, making them ‘the healthiest set of Quintuplets ever born.’
'I don't use the term loosely but these five babies are truly miracles,' Dr John Elliot said at a press conference following.
'Just the fact that they made it this far and that they were all home within three weeks is just crazy. I mean it’s truly a miracle. They’re all healthy,' Mrs Ferraro told CBS.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223548/Meryl-John-Ferraro-California-couple-welcome-home-healthiest-set-quintuplets-born.html#ixzz2AbKgK4aT
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