Meyers family welcomes quintuplets with care from UMMC collaborative team
Published on Monday, July 15, 2024
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications
Expecting quintuplets, Ashley Meyers went into labor. Her family’s team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center went into action.
The result was the successful birth of five additions to Ashley and Tyler Meyers’ family on July 5 at Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants after care through UMMC’s Center for Maternal Fetal Care.
“This family came to us with bright eyes and fear and tears,” said Dr. Rachael Morris, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and Ashley Meyers’ OBGYN, “but UMMC is a place where miracles happen every day.”
Ashley Meyers felt contractions weeks earlier than expected, but her care team was ready even on the evening of a holiday.
“From 1 a.m. to 5 p.m., after the babies were born, there was no sleep,” said Dr. Mobolaji Famuyide, chief of the Division of Newborn Medicine.
The team of experts included about 30 specialists in neonatology and neonatal nursing in addition to specialists in obstetrics, hematology, respiratory therapy, anesthesiology and surgery.
Because several other low-birthweight babies were expected, room for eight new patients in the neonatal intensive care units at Wiser and in the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower was made.
In Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants, care teams prepared for a cesarean section delivery by Dr. Elizabeth Lutz, with a team of four experts assigned to each of the babies. Meanwhile, Children’s of Mississippi neonatology care teams were getting ready for five new neonatal intensive care unit patients.
Franklin Walker was born first at 1:23 p.m., weighing 1 pound, 14.7 ounces, and 13.6 inches long. Then came Carter James at 1:26 p.m., weighing 2 pounds, 0.8 ounces, and 14.6 inches long. Saylor Kate was the first of the girls, born at 1:28 p.m., weighing 1 pound, 11.9 ounces, and 13.8 inches long. Allie Ray was born at 1:30 p.m., weighing 1 pound, 12.6 ounces, and 12.99 inches long. Nova Mae was born fifth at 1:31 p.m. at 1 pound, 13.6 ounces and 13.8 inches long.
All are faring well for their gestational age, Famuyide said.
The Medical Center’s transport team was mobilized to help welcome the Meyers quintuplets, and the NICU nurses were ready, Famuyide said. “The receiving and admitting nurses were incredible, and all helped each other.”
The neonatologists and nurse practitioners “all tag-teamed and had all orders in and lines in done within an hour and 45 minutes of their birth,” she said. “That is a miracle.”
The babies are getting regular visits from Ashley and Tyler.
"Seeing the babies is a dream come true,” Ashley Meyers said. “We had absolutely no idea what we were going to do when we were told there were five babies, but now seeing them here is like a breath of air. They are doing so fantastic, and we couldn’t be more thankful for what everyone has done throughout this process and journey, from keeping them in until 27 weeks to caring for them each day. Everyone here treats you like family.”
Tyler Meyers thanked the Medical Center team for seeing his family through the babies’ birth and continuing to care for their babies. “We’ve had lots of challenges, but we’ve looked to the doctors and nurses, and they’ve reassured us time and time again.”
The couple looks forward to introducing the babies to big sisters Paisleigh, 3, and Westlynn, 2.
Morris said the odds of spontaneous quintuplets are about one in 60 million. However, UMMC welcomed quintuplets in 2023 as well.
“When I got the call that there was another set of quintuplets, I was shocked,” Morris said.
The determination of Ashley Myers was as rare as her pregnancy, her OBGYN said.
“Ashley showed incredible strength and determination throughout her pregnancy, despite the challenges of carrying five fetuses at one time,” Morris said. “To carry five babies with no complaints and a smile on her face is what got these babies to 27 weeks. She faced every challenge with a smile and a positive attitude.”
The births of multiple children in high-risk pregnancies show the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork throughout the Medical Center.
"It was not obstetrics and gynecology doing this and neonatology doing that,” Famuyide said. “It took all of us working together. I am so proud of our team. It takes a village, and everyone contributed to this effort. I’m so grateful to be working with such an amazing team.”