After a planned caesarean on June 16, at 30 weeks, a Guyanese woman gave birth to four babies at the Andrée-Rosemon Hospital, Cayenne, French Guiana.
Anjanie McPherson, 30, originally from Bushlot Village, West Coast Berbice, who currently resides in French Guiana, gave birth to Adaiah Jehan McPherson at 4.16 pm, Elias Vihaan McPherson at 4.17 pm, Lorris Eeshan McPherson at 4.19 pm and Katalina Jhanvi McPherson at 4.20 pm.
Initially, McPherson went into the labour room with the names of two boys and two girls as throughout her pregnancy that is what she was told she was having. However, during the delivery, she heard the doctor said, “Boy, boy, boy and then a girl. I was amazed and shocked, I said what? Three boys?”
The young mother of now six children explained that she had separated from her first spouse in Guyana and returned to her parents’ house. However, a sister-in-law of her current husband, Lorris Mc Pherson, 39, originally from Kingelly Village, West Coast Berbice, thought that the two would make a great couple and “hooked us up.”
She recalled that she and her husband, who has been residing and working in French Guiana for over twenty years now, started to talk on the telephone. “And one week after he come to see me, he couldn’t wait”, she said.
After dating for about two years the couple decided to wed and hosted their ceremony in Guyana. The woman said that she made a tough decision to relocate to French Guiana with her new husband. She said, it was difficult to consider leaving her son, 8, who was staying with his father “and not being able to see him every day because my daughter (9-years-old) is in America with an aunt.” However, she knew that it was a decision that would bring stability and betterment for herself and her children eventually.
Fast forward to December 2020, Anjanie and Lorris, who had never been married or had any children at that time, discovered that they would be having their first child together. But this quickly changed, as Anjanie’s test revealed that she was pregnant with multiple embryos. “At that time I did research and based on the levels I know something wasn’t right and the doctor said there were multiples but we weren’t sure how many.”
One month later following an ultrasound, the couple was informed that they would be having four children. “It was shocking, it was jaw-dropping to think to go through that process to bring forth four children, my mind went wild but we were happy.”
She recalled, that Lorris kept holding the ultrasound pictures to his face and kissing it repeatedly in excitement. She said, “He was on top of the moon, he was amazed.”
Detailing her 30 weeks pregnancy, Anjanie said that it was a tough period as she would have “morning sickness” throughout the day and night. “It was difficult and then I was on bed rest for about four months almost given its multiples.”
At her 26 weeks checkup, she was admitted to her district hospital given she was considered a high risk case and lived almost 45 minutes away from the health institution. Her doctor thought it would have been unsafe to have her travelling back and forth for checkups and in case of an emergency as well.
Eventually, she was transferred via helicopter to the main hospital in Cayenne since the doctors did not want to chance her being moved in vehicles. Anjanie related that she was hospitalized at that hospital for about five weeks after which her water broke on June, 16. “It was shocking and unreal”, she said, while explaining that she was awake and alert during her cesarean, which she said was somewhat easier than expected for her since there were no medical complications with her or her four babies.
As of this afternoon, Anjanie’s eldest son and daughter were being prepared to be sent home as they had met the required weight for discharge given no medical complications. Initially, she was told that her son would be the only one discharged but while speaking with Stabroek News via telephone she relayed that her husband was now informing her that he was just told that their daughter would be discharged too. “Oh wow, that just so amazing and exciting”, was her initial reaction to this news.
Fraternal quadruplets
Anjanie disclosed that her four children are fraternal quadruplets meaning that while they were all carried by their mother at the same time, their genes aren’t the same. They aren’t identical quads and are likely to be unique in their looks, personalities and DNA.
She explained, while it will be a challenge to take care of and raise the four children at once, they are willing to accept it. “It’s an exciting journey but it’s still a challenge which my husband and I are ready to face head-on.”
She added that considering that they will all have their own personalities it will be a lot for her to learn about but she is willing to do the necessary work to ensure that her children are all equally loved and cared for.
Anjanie says her two older children were extremely excited about the quadruplets. She said initially when she told them that she was pregnant her eldest son wanted a brother while her daughter wanted a sister, adding that by the grace of God she was able to fulfill both of their wishes.
Recovery
Anjanie told Stabroek News today that she is surprised at the speed at which her body has recovered following her surgery. She said that while she would have wanted to have natural deliveries as she did with her two eldest children, she opted to take the safest route for her quadruplets which was a planned caesarean.
As of today, she relayed that while she was still experiencing some pain, overall she is doing well.
Family
Anjanie said that her family and Lorris’s family have supported them tremendously with this process, adding, that her mother even ventured to French Guiana to care for her. “And I am so grateful that she is here to help me. Because right now I am visiting the hospital every day and by the time I get home back I am exhausted so I am thankful for her.”
She added, that the relatives are all extremely eager to have their first in-person look at the babies as well, and given that her entire family is in Guyana she is considering visiting once the borders are open and her babies are cleared to travel.
Anjanie also took the opportunity to thank her relatives for their support as well as her gynaecologist and nurses at the hospitals. She pointed out, that since her babies are still in the hospital the nurses have been giving them 24/7 attention and care, and she is extremely appreciative of this.
