A Texas couple was looking forward to having a baby after they suffered a miscarriage. Since the father was already turning fifty, they didn’t plan to have more kids. Little did they know that fate would surprise them with four children instead of one.
Many couples wish to have children when they are still young. They start building their family soon after tying the knot, so they don’t have to look after their little ones in the later stages of their lives.
The couple in today’s story also had similar plans, but fate surprised them with something unexpected. While they thought one baby would complete their family, the ultrasound technician told them a life-changing truth.
Gaby and Patrick Hagler’s life was no less than a rollercoaster ride. Their story started when they met and tied the knot in 2018. At that time, Gaby had a daughter named Kalleigh with her ex-husband, while Patrick had a son named Paxton from his previous marriage.
Soon after becoming husband and wife, the Texas couple welcomed their baby boy, Sammy, who is now almost three years old. After having three children, Gaby and Patrick decided to have one more to complete their family. Gaby said:
“After that, we were going to be done because I’m turning 40 in March, and he’s turning 50 this month, and we thought we would have four kids, and it would be great.”
Unfortunately, Gaby had a miscarriage when she got pregnant after Sammy. However, they didn’t give up and tried for another baby. Gaby and Patrick wished to complete their family with another child, unaware that fate had other plans for them.
After doing a strip test, Gaby was over the moon when she saw two lines. She went to the hospital to confirm her positive pregnancy test results, and the doctors informed her that she would soon become a mother.
Gaby and Patrick got the biggest surprise of their lives when they went for an ultrasound at 12 weeks. After putting the ultrasound gel on her belly, the technician slid the device on Gaby’s baby bump. A few moments later, the technician started counting.
“Are you counting limbs? What are we counting here?” asked a worried Gaby. She couldn’t understand why the ultrasound technician was smiling at the screen. When the technician said, “there’s four,” Gaby asked her what was happening, to which she replied:
“Four babies. Did you know you’re having four babies?”
Gaby and Patrick were shocked to know they were having three more babies than expected. They had never imagined having quadruplets at this stage of their lives. After the doctors told them it was a high-risk pregnancy, they stayed cautious for the next few months.
Patrick and Gaby went for the ultrasound on January 21, 2022, and had to struggle in the next few weeks. First, they had to get insurance for their three other babies they didn’t know about. Then, Gaby had to undergo a medical procedure to prevent a miscarriage. Gaby recalled:
“End of January, beginning of February was insane.”
While most quadruplets are in a hurry to enter this world, Gaby’s babies took a month more and were born at 34 weeks. Patrick and Gaby became parents to their little quadruplets on June 22, 2022.
When Gaby and Patrick planned to have a baby, they didn’t know what life had in store for them. They named their boys alphabetically ― Adam, Bennett, Coby, and Dane (A, B, C, D). After staying in the hospital for three weeks, Gaby and her babies were discharged.
However, traveling to their Katy home from Texas Medical Center was no less than a struggle because their car could only fit two babies at a time. Whenever they would go to the hospital, they would take two appointments, one for each pair of boys.
To solve their problem, Barbara Garaygordobil, Gaby’s godmother, set up a GoFundMe page so the family could buy a van that would fit at least five car seats and a quad stroller. In no time, they collected over $20,000 through the fundraiser and bought a Ford van.
When Gaby discovered she was having quadruplets, she didn’t think about the hurdles she would face while raising four babies at once. At first, Gaby’s eldest child, Kalleigh, struggled to adjust to her new siblings, but later, she was the one who helped her mother manage everything.
The biggest challenge for Gaby was feeding her quadruplets because all of them felt hungry at the same time. With Kalleigh’s support, Gaby manages to pump enough milk beforehand, so all her babies can drink it simultaneously. Gaby said:
“That requires a very disciplined pumping schedule. It’s a ridiculous amount of milk. And honestly, it’s exhausting.”
“We’re still figuring it out, but it’s awesome. It’s incredible,” she added. Gaby and Patrick were delighted to have four babies instead of one and felt their family of nine was now complete.
Share this story with your friends and family to tell them about Gaby and Patrick’s incredible parenthood journey. Their unique story teaches us that life doesn’t always go as planned.
Click here to read another story about a mother of triplets who was told that her babies would likely not survive. She gave birth to her babies in different years.