The parents of miracle quintuplets born in Mississippi shared the first photo of their babies as they celebrated their first Easter at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Couple Haylee and Shawn Ladner had the best day of their lives when they held their quintuplets for the first time in February.
However, they only got to hold them individually. Finally this Sunday, they were able to cradle them all at once.
“We got all the babies dressed up in their little Easter outfits and we held all of them at once and had one big group photo for them for their first Easter,” Shawn said.
It was a little nerve-wracking for them to hold five babies at a time but they managed to do so. “It was an impactful moment to see all of our babies together again because that was the first time that they had all been together, right beside each other since they were in her womb. So it was a cool moment,” he added.
The couple was also glad that all the children were healthy, which is not common in quintuplet babies. “It’s been miraculous, I would say, to see all five babies grow and not have any complications and to just be perfectly healthy and to be striving and thriving,” said Haylee.
Having babies was not easy for Haylee and Shawn. After Haylee suffered two miscarriages, the couple decided to get pregnant through an intrauterine insemination treatment.
Facebook | Haylee Ladner
“We found out we were pregnant with the IUI, and my numbers were super, super high,” Haylee shared. “We were thinking, ‘Okay, twins, it could be twins,’ cause we only had two eggs. [The doctor] said, ‘There’s five,’ and I immediately was like, ‘How is this possible?’”
Haylee and Shawn call their quintuplets “miracle” babies. They have always wanted to have at least one child, but they were given five at once, which they are very thankful for.
“We wanted to share this story for two reasons: one, because we believe they are miracles given to us by God, and two, we wanted to do it to hopefully help other couples who have gone through infertility, too, know that they have some hope out there in the world as well,” Haylee said.
The quintuplets – one boy and four identical girls – were born at 28 weeks on February 16 at Wiser Hospital for Women at UMCC.
Their daughters Malley, Adalyn, Everleigh, and Magnolia were all identical while their son Jake was the largest, at 2 pounds, 5 ounces. Because they were born quite too early, they had to receive neonatal intensive care such as respiratory support.
“The biggest thing right now is the babies are still learning to bottle feed and so, as they work up their ability with bottle feedings, they’ll be able to be discharged,” Haylee explained.
Source: University of Mississippi Medical Center
Shawn, who is a maintenance mechanic, said that the experience has been amazing despite all the ups and downs. “I had to go back to work so I’ve been traveling back and forth to come up and see the babies. It made me so happy that they’ve been doing so good,” he said.
Haylee, on the other hand, stays in the hospital with the babies and enjoys learning new things. “It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. I couldn’t be any happier,” she said.
The Ladners said they want to share their quintuplets’ future milestones and special moments in their new YouTube channel “5 Little Ladders.”
For now, they just want to look after their miracle babies and enjoy their growth while waiting for the day they can finally take them home.
Because of the unexpected blessings and accompanying financial responsibility, the father has created a GoFundMe page to seek support from anyone willing to contribute towards their journey. The family is deeply grateful for the blessings they’ve received and humbly appreciates any help provided. Join them in their beautiful journey and show your support today. ❤️🙏