Saturday, January 21, 2012
YOU could call them Cork’s four-in-a-row, but if the four-wheel drive of the quad squad is anything to go by, the bainisteoirs of Kellie, Katie, Shauna and Amy Murphy have to take some credit.
This weekend the quads, from Riverstick, Co Cork, celebrate their 10th birthday and they will be joined by parents Pat and Brenda to celebrate the momentous occasion at the local national school.
"I can’t believe they are 10," said Brenda. "The past 10 years have gone by so quickly. I find it is amazing to think I am the mother of quads."
It was even less believable a decade ago when she learned she was carrying more than one child.
"When I was eight weeks pregnant I was told it was triplets. Two weeks later I as told it was quads. We were numb. We couldn’t even talk. I don’t know how we drove home."
Seven months later, on January 2, 2002, Brenda found herself in Erinville hospital in Cork being assisted by a large team of medical staff.
Although 13 weeks premature, the girls arrived safely thanks to the skill of the medical team. The delivery involved one of the biggest medical preparations in Cork history with a team of 45 staff drawn from two hospitals on standby 24 hours a day.
All four babies were born by caesarean section in the space of five minutes — and all within 30 minutes of Brenda going into premature labour.
Kellie was the first to be born, weighing in at 2lb 5oz, followed by Katie at a tiny 1lb 14oz. Next came Shauna, who weighed in at 2lb, and last came Amy at 1 b 15.5oz.
Ten years on, the girls are thriving, healthy and as lively as ever.
"I get around one hour to myself in the day," said Brenda, but neither she nor husband Pat would have it any other way.
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