A Utah couple’s incredible journey through in-vitro fertilization has touched the hearts of many, as they recently welcomed quadruplets, comprising two sets of identical twins. The birth of Indie, Esme, Scarlett, and Evangeline, delivered by Caesarean section at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, has brought immense joy to Ashley and Tyson Gardner.
Their path to parenthood was marked by an eight-year struggle to conceive before they decided to pursue IVF treatment, a series of procedures involving fertilization outside the woman’s body in a specialized laboratory. An astonishing twist of fate occurred when both fertilized eggs Ashley was carrying split – an occurrence with odds of just one in a million. As a result, Ashley found herself pregnant with not one, but two sets of twins, an extremely rare phenomenon. To put it in perspective, only one in 70 million pregnant women deliver quadruplets.
Ashley’s journey involved carrying the four girls for 29 weeks and 4 days, with 7 1/2 weeks spent on hospital bedrest. Throughout this time, Ashley and Tyson became quasi-spokespersons for the infertility community. Ashley devoted hours to answering questions on social media, reading messages of support, and sending love to those facing similar struggles to start families.
The long wait finally came to an end on December 28, 2014, when the bedrest period concluded, and the word «rest» took on a whole new meaning. The four baby girls were born within a remarkable 2.5 minutes, and though small, they were healthy.
Tyson expressed his emotions, saying, «It’s amazing to see babies come into this world. You can’t describe it – you have to feel it.» The delivery room at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center was abuzz with anticipation, with five neonatologists and a total of 37 people prepared to take care of each baby girl’s needs. Within two months, the beautiful girls, named Indie, Esme, Scarlett, and Evangeline, all came home, and the family was finally together in their American Fork townhouse.
Ashley described the experience, saying, «I like to say, ‘These are the little blessings I never knew I wanted.»’ The Gardner quadruplets attract attention wherever they go, from shopping malls and grocery stores to swimming pools and parks. As their parents push them around in a quad stroller, they’ve learned to gracefully navigate the crowds of people who are genuinely interested in their daughters’ welfare.
Ashley, now 28, is finally enjoying a full night’s sleep after months of being awakened every few hours around the clock. She reflected on the first few months since the girls were born as exhausting but incredibly rewarding. «Every day, I feel so grateful as I watch these little miracles grow,» she said. «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».
