Triplets born at 28 weeks survive ‘miracle delivery’

On September 22, Chloe Dunstan was due to give birth to triplets: two boys and a girl. But early in July, midway through her pregnancy, the Australian mother faced an impossible choice: continue with the pregnancy and lose her baby girl (who was deprived of oxygen and nutrients), or deliver early at 28 weeks, which could put all three babies at risk.

Doctors recommended that Chloe consider letting her preborn baby girl die in order to give the two baby boys better odds of survival. But in an effort to save all three babies, Chloe decided to deliver early. On July 3, she gave birth to triplets – Chloe and husband Rohan’s fourth, fifth, and sixth children: Henry, Rufus, and “miracle” baby Pearl. All three babies survived, and arrived home from the hospital before their September due date.

“Pearl would have died if we didn’t deliver early, so I will never regret that,”  Chloe told Daily Mail Australia. “I do remember briefly considering the alternative of letting her go so her brothers could continue to grow strong and healthy and have the best start in life, but now that she’s here, my heart hurts at the thought of not having her in our lives.”

As could be expected, the early delivery presented complications – but none that the babies didn’t overcome. All three babies underwent blood transfusions, and it was baby Pearl who faced the toughest fight for survival. Chloe explained:

Pearl had a PDA in her heart that closed on its own, she had a pulmonary hemorrhage, a minor brain bleed, she fought a horrible infection and there were days we weren’t sure if she would make it – especially the early weeks when she was on a ventilator. She had something called metabolic bone disease, which resolved with medication. The main ongoing issue was her liver, as she was very jaundiced for the whole time she was in the hospital, but the latest scan showed that everything looked fine.

The bravery and determination of Chloe, Henry, Rufus, and Pearl has captured the hearts of thousands of Australians, as well as others from around the world who follow the family’s inspiring journey via social media. According to Daily Mail, Chloe’s Instagram page has gained more than 45,000 followers, who can follow the triplets’ ongoing survival story.

“At this point I can’t say exactly what the future holds, but all three babies are strong and healthy with no known issues,” said Chloe. “They seem to fall asleep instantly when they are close and cuddling. I can’t wait to see how their bond grows over time.”

Life truly is precious.