Giving birth to a child is something just about every woman looks forward to at least once during their lifetime. But, how about giving birth to triplets in a single delivery? And, to top it all, identical triplets? You must ask Nikki Whitaker about it. The Butte woman has become the proud mother of three boys whom she gave birth to in Seattle last month. The incident is considered unique because such triplets are quite rare, with chances for only one in 8000 or so. So, by delivering identical triplets Whitaker, who already has two sons, has hit the headlines, drawing global attention from not only the U.S. but all over the world.

The identical triplets have been named Robert Keith, Cameron Lucas, and Cooper John. While Robert was born on September 22, the other two boys were delivered by Whitaker three days later. While Robert and Cameron were delivered naturally, Cooper came the caesarean way. All three weigh less than two pounds, with Cameron, at 1.8 pounds, weighing more than Cooper and significantly more than Robert, who is currently undergoing treatment for pneumonia. Along with Cooper, Robert had tested positive for Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterial strain that’s resistant to antibiotics used for treating staph infections.

Statistical Anomaly

Even in the wildest of her dreams Whitaker did not expect this to happen. She had not been on any fertility drug either. But the mother is quite excited to know that she has given birth to identical triplets. However, what really hurts her and her entire family is the huge expenses involved in handling the situation. The daily Medicaid allowance for housing of $25.50 is not even enough to pay for an ordinary motel room in the area. While hiring a flat on rent in Seattle can prove very costly, Whitaker is also handicapped by not being a resident of Washington state, as that brings a limit on her hospital referrals. “It’s so expensive, it’s ridiculous. I’m holding up, but living in a hospital is really hard,” bemoans Whitaker.

Whitaker’s whole family is upset and running from pillar to post to manage the babies. “It’s stressful… she’s torn between both her sons here and her babies”, says Brandi Lammi, Whitaker’s sister. Whitaker’s older boys Blake and Mason are aged 8 and 7 respectively. It’s the elders in the family who take care of the brothers of the identical triplets, hoping Whitaker to return home at an early date. A worried-looking Whitaker’s mother sums up the situation when she says: “Every day is an up and down roller coaster.”

Praying for Good Health

According to Dr. Glenn McLaughlin, obstetrician in Butte, the chances of a woman delivering genetically identical triplets are one in a million. “To have identical triplets, the egg would have had to split, then another egg would have had to split again,” he said, adding it was difficult to find consistent numbers across the board.

“It happens so infrequently that it’s difficult to come up with real numbers. The instance of having identical twins is small, then you’d have to square that number,” Dr. McLaughlin said. Although identical twins have been born on Whitaker’s maternal side, the Robert-Cameron-Cooper combine have come to create a new record as identical triplets. With only a 50 percent survival rate for premature newborns after 24 weeks which, however, becomes 90 percent after another four weeks, the whole of Butte has been praying for the enjoyment in Whitaker’s family to last long.