Mom Thinks She’s Having Twins, Then Doctor Spots Something Incredible

Lauren Perkins had always dreamed of becoming a mom. After spending a difficult year trying and failing to fall pregnant, the idea of fertility treatment didn’t seem so scary anymore. She and her husband, David, decided to take a vacation to Nicaragua to consider their next step.

During the trip, Lauren talked openly about their struggles to conceive with some friends, including a priest. The priest replied calmly, “Someone up there has big plans for you. I don’t know what, but it will be big.” At the time, it sounded strange, but Lauren would soon realize the words carried weight.

After the Nicaragua trip, Lauren returned home to Texas. She didn’t think much about what the priest had said during the vacation. On the contrary, she and David had decided on one thing: they wanted to try out artificial insemination, the simplest method of assisted fertilization.

Lauren was convinced that it wouldn’t work, that she was destined to be barren. But it did. Lauren finally fell pregnant. In the first routine check, nurses told her that her hCG levels were very high, indicating a strong possibility of multiple children.

Lauren and her husband were delighted at the idea of having twins or even triplets, as they had struggled for so long to have a child. Then the ultrasound came, and a staggered doctor delivered the shocking news: “I count five in there.” Lauren thought this was impossible. But the doctor continued, “Wait a minute, I found a sixth baby.”

The confused couple stared at the screen in complete shock. Six. Lauren and David were then faced with a difficult decision: reduce the number of children or keep them all. The chances of all six babies surviving the pregnancy were low, and having six at the same time brought on a number of dangerous complications. After much deliberation, Lauren and David decided to give all six a fighting chance.

Their doctors promised to do everything they could to ensure that every baby was delivered safely. On Monday morning, April 23, 2012, in week 30 of her pregnancy, Lauren gave birth with a total of 35 people from the hospital gathered inside the delivery room. The doctor needed the help of six nurses standing by to receive each baby as it came into the world.

It took a total of four minutes to deliver all six babies—Andrew, Benjamin, Caroline, Leia, Allison, and Levi. They all weighed between 1 and 2 pounds at birth. Lauren said, “I didn’t expect to see my babies until the next day, but each baby’s team rolled them by me one by one on their way up to the NICU, and I got to touch their little fingers.”

The first few weeks were crucial for the babies’ lives, and their parents worried about complications that could potentially lead to disabilities or even death. Fortunately, all six recovered slowly but surely after many intense weeks of love and care from the staff in the neonatal facility. Five of the babies were able to go home at four months old, while little Leah had to stay in the hospital for an additional few weeks.

The family received an abundance of support from loved ones and donations from both family and strangers touched by their story. Lauren praised the medical staff who played a crucial role in their journey.

Recently, Andrew, Noah, Benjamin, Luke, Caroline, Grace, Leah, Michelle, Alice, Kate, and Levi Thomas celebrated their sixth birthday. The family has adapted to their full and busy life. Lauren calls it “semi-controlled chaos.” They have established schedules and structures to manage their unique family.

Most of the children are perfectly healthy today, while Leah, who faced some challenges due to her underdeveloped brain, will likely require ongoing care from her parents. Nevertheless, she started school along with her siblings and brings joy to their lives.