Advertisement

Mom recovering after emergency surgery to save quadruplets

"She is on strict bedrest [sic] for the remainder of her pregnancy," said Ashley's husband Taylor Gardner.

By Brooks Hays
Ashley and Taylor Gardner after emergency surgery to save the couple's quadruplets. (A Miracle Unfolding-Gardner Quadruplets/Facebook)
Ashley and Taylor Gardner after emergency surgery to save the couple's quadruplets. (A Miracle Unfolding-Gardner Quadruplets/Facebook)

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Ashley Gardner and her four in utero babies are recovering after the expectant mother underwent emergency surgery to save the fetuses this week. The parents say they're relieved the surgery went as planned and are just hoping the four little ones can stay strong for a few more weeks.

Ashley and her husband Taylor had been experimenting with a number of fertility treatments for several years, until 19 weeks ago, when Ashley was successfully implanted with two embryos and she became pregnant. But those two embryos each split, and Ashely learned she was carrying quadruplets -- two pairs of identical twins. Having diligently charted her and her husband's journey, the announcement of their four little ones went viral.

Advertisement

Quadruplets are extremely rare. The chance of carrying four fetuses is one in seventy million. But while exciting, carrying and birthing quadruplets is extremely risky. Earlier this week, Ashley's doctors learned that her babies had developed a health condition called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, whereby an imbalance in the sharing of blood between the two pairs puts all four at risk -- from either too much or too little blood.

Advertisement

Doctors had to take immediate action to rectify the problem. The couple, who live in Utah, had to fly to Los Angeles for the surgery. After the procedure, surgeons said they had successfully redistributed the blood more evenly.

"The surgery was a great success, and this morning we just hope the baby is a fighter," Tyson Gardner told ABC News on Good Morning America today. "We really hope that the ultrasound. ... We hope we see four heartbeats."

Ashley's physicians want her and her little ones to make it at least seven more weeks before they consider inducing labor -- either naturally or via surgery.

"She is on strict bedrest [sic] for the remainder of her pregnancy," Ashely's husband announced on Facebook. "The doctors goal is for her to make it to 28 weeks, but we think our little fighters will stay in longer!"

Latest Headlines