Quadruplets - 4 reasons to rejoice!!!!

You may remember when I posted about quadruplets being born at only 30 weeks gestation on January 1st.  It was a very exciting day and so much fun because they did so well initially.  Here is the photo that I posted in that blog of the 4 sisters together on the only resuscitaire in theater (OR).  They were so little that they had room to spare!

Those 4 little girls had some bumps along the way - for instance, they all required phototherapy for high bilirubin.  We didn't have enough incubators, physical space in the nursery to spread them out, or bilirubin lights....so they shared.

They needed blood cultures and antibiotics and tube feeds and xrays, but overall they did beautifully and were a bright spot in my day that saw a lot of sick and struggling babies.  Their mom faithfully fed them every 2 hours around the clock without help for 2 months, and they grew consistently.  Here is a photo of them - sharing a giant crib - at about 6 weeks.  :)

And here is a photo of them just before going home at 2 months old....note the matching hats. :)

I wasn't able to be in the nursery due to other obligations on the day they were discharged, but here is a photo that Rick snapped during the seemingly endless task of them getting bathed, dressed, and ready for discharge.  Their bill (almost $5000) is the largest that I have heard of during my time here at Kijabe, as you can imagine - thankfully, they have the government-sponsored insurance and also were helped by private donors.  I don't know how they would cover a bill like that and pay for supplemental formula and diapers for 4 babies!  The government-sponsored insurance that I mentioned (NHIF=National Health Insurance Fund) is just a few thousand shillings for a family for a year, and it covers up to 2,200 shillings per day for a hospital stay.  It is a huge bargain although, sadly, many families still can't purchase it.

Here they are at the one week checkup - no small event!  It required 4 people, 1 per baby, and quite some time to undress, take vitals, weigh and discuss each one - they were all doing great!  You may notice in these photos that the mom (on the right) has an abnormal left eye.  She is blind in that eye, due to an infection, and the infection has shown signs of moving to the right eye.  She has been treated by an eye doctor, but it isn't clear whether the infection can be reversed.  Please pray for her right eye to remain functional, so that she can raise her 6 young girls.

The proud parents! 

This is their return after 2 more weeks - they all are doing great and we can now space out their checkups.  A couple of the larger stores in Kenya have donated formula, so here they are taking photos of them accepting it.

Having quadruplets here in Kenya is quite rare - and to have them survive to discharge and then thrive is unheard of.  To help you understand what a joy these babies have been to so many people here and to me personally, let me give you a comparison to a two hour span on Wednesday, just in the outpatient clinic.  These are the 4 patients that I was called to consult on:
1.  A 4 year old with total regression of milestones over a several month period and blindness.  They came with a head CT that I couldn't read.  I sent pictures via my iphone to my sister in the US who read it as leukodystrophy - a terrible diagnosis.
2.  A ten month old with persistent seizures since meningitis at one month of age.
3.  A two year old with probable myocarditis (infection of the heart muscle)- worsening, and really needs a heart transplant...that he will never get.
4.  A one and a half year old with anal warts.  I learned from the clinical officer that the child protective services here in Kenya requires the parents' consent to be involved, and they have to already have a suspect.  They won't do independent investigations "from scratch." 

So, please rejoice with us over these sweet little girls!!  And, please pray for their family - that they would continue to bring so much joy to those around them throughout their lifetimes. :)

Love,
Sarah

Phillipians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.