A Utah couple whose journey through in-vitro fertilization captivated the nation welcomed quadruplets — two sets of identical twins.
Ashley and Tyson Gardner said they are “overwhelmed with joy” after the birth of Indie, Esme, Scarlett and Evangeline by Caesarean section at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. At delivery, three of the infants weighed little more than 2 pounds. The hospital said that the fourth was barely under 2 pounds.
The couple said they struggled for eight years to conceive a baby before deciding to turn to IVF treatment. It is a sequence of procedures that involves fertilization of an egg outside a woman’s body in a specialized lab.
Doctors placed the odds of a successful pregnancy with one baby at less than 40 percent for Ashley, who had been diagnosed with endometriosis. Ashley learned that she was pregnant with two sets of identical twins – a one-in-a-million chance according to her fertility specialist.
This Lone Peak grad carried the four girls for 29 weeks and 4 days, with 7 1/2 weeks on hospital bedrest. But Ashley wasn’t bored. By the time Ashley met her miracles, the Gardners had become quasi-spokespersons for the infertility community. She spent hours answering questions on social media, reading messages of support, and sending love to those struggling to start families.
Then on Dec. 28, 2014, the bedrest ended — and so did the word “rest” in any form. The four baby girls were born within 2.5 minutes — small but healthy.
“It’s amazing to see babies come into this world,” Tyson says with emotion. “You can’t describe it — you have to feel it.”
Five neonatologists — and a total of 37 people — were in the much-anticipated delivery room at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, prepared to take care of each baby girl’s needs. Within two months, the family was back together in their American Fork townhouse with the arrival of four stunning girls with the names Indie, Esme, Scarlett, and Evangeline.
“I like to say, ‘These are the little blessings I never knew I wanted,’” Ashley says.
Wherever their parents take Indie, Esme, Scarlett, and Evangeline, from shopping centers and supermarkets to swimming pools and parks, they draw attention. Ashley and Tyson have become accustomed to dealing with groups of people who have a keen interest in their daughters’ wellbeing pressing in on them as they push the children around in a quad stroller.
“So many people followed our story every step of the way – they feel like we’re part of their family,” says Ashley, 28, who is finally getting a full night’s sleep after months of being awakened every few hours around the clock.
“Those first months since they were born were exhausting, but so rewarding,” she said. “Every day, I feel so grateful as I watch these little miracles grow. They’re healthy now, they’re happy and thriving. I’m soaking up every minute with them – I can’t get enough of holding them and watching every little milestone.”
