The Griffin kiddos are from Boonville. They are 15.
Diagnosis: Premature (Quintuplets).
Lance and Kim Griffin were told they were going to have twins, until an ultrasound showed 5 babies inside of her. The doctors started to be concerned about the babies when Kim gained 35lbs in fluid in just a few days. There was a risk of losing mom, Kim’s, life as well as the 5. The doctors put her on bedrest at 12 weeks. Kim stayed close to home and said it was a blessing to have the hospital right there so her husband and family could visit.
Kim started to have contractions every 7 minutes and was quickly admitted to the hospital at 20 weeks. At 22 weeks, Kim went into labor. The doctors were preparing Kim and Lance for the worst. They gave her meds to keep the babies growing and to try and stop labor. This was successful and the babies were able to stay in for another 3 weeks.
At 25 weeks and 4 days, Kim stopped having contractions. Then they started up again, leading to Kim having the babies that night. She went into the OR, where there were 6 people per baby in the room. In 3 minutes, they went from no babies to 5 babies. Brady, the smallest baby, passed away after 36 hours. He was 12 oz when he was born.
When in the NICU for 3 months, there was one nurse per baby, one-on-one care. This was nice and comforting for Kim and Lance. They felt the compassion and knew that they were in good hands. As a mom, Kim knowing that she could leave and that the nurses loved her babies just as much meant the world to her.
Looking at them now, the kids have no major lasting side effects. They are all doing great, growing up and turning into typical teenagers. Statistically, they should not be as healthy as they are. The staff at MU Women’s and Children’s was great, and they really helped Lance stay informed, while answering all of Kim’s questions. Their faith stepped in- they prayed- the Griffin family has a lot to be thankful for.
The Griffins want to share 2 things:
1. No one ever expects it to be them and their child or children or their grandchildren. We sure did not.
2. The hospital is there for not just the big, out-of-the-ordinary situations like ours. It’s there for little things like broken bones, stitches, RSV, the flu etc. Without the hospital in Columbia, parents would be making trips to KC and St. Louis to see specialists for the common health issues too.