Life of the world's only six twins 30 years later (9 photos)
Janet and Graham Walton really wanted to become parents. But their natural desire to have children soon turned into a real life test. Over the course of several years, Janet tried many times to get pregnant. But in vain.
The couple finally decided to try assisted reproductive technology (ART). Unfortunately, it didn't help either. After twelve attempts, Janet still did not get pregnant. The couple's hopes were already beginning to fade when a miracle happened. On her 13th attempt at ART, Janet finally became pregnant.
Upon learning of the pregnancy, Janet and Graham felt in seventh heaven.
All their suffering seemed to finally end. They were excitedly awaiting the birth of their first child. But when Janet's doctor examined her at eight weeks of pregnancy, it was discovered that she would become the mother of not just one child, but six!
Janet and Graham were completely shocked by the news. They didn't count that many children, at least not at one time.
Janet was soon hospitalized and had to remain in the hospital until the babies were born. The expectant mother needed to be under full medical supervision, since pregnancy with so many children at one time carries an increased risk of miscarriage.
On November 18, 1983, at 31 weeks of pregnancy, Janet gave birth to six healthy girls. The babies were born by caesarean section in a hospital in Liverpool, England, and became the world's first sextuplets.
In January 1984, after doctors were convinced that the girls were healthy and in no danger, they were discharged from the hospital.
“They were born healthy at 31 weeks of pregnancy. Two of the girls were placed in incubators because their lungs did not have time to develop in the womb,” dad Graham told The Guardian newspaper.
The whole world watched the miraculous birth of sisters Hannah, Ruth, Lucy, Kate, Jenny and Sarah. Their lives were destined to be different from most others.
Janet and Graham bought around 11,000 nappies a year and barely slept for the first few years of their children's lives.
Their parenting life began to look like endless cycles of feeding, changing diapers and short naps.
But it was not only the first years of the girls’ lives that were difficult for Graham and Janet.
For many years, parents could not rest: school, lessons, puberty of girls and all this at once for six daughters at the same time.
The life of the Walton family has always been full of worries!
“The girls' early years flew by... My only regret is that there wasn't enough time to put worries aside and just enjoy life as a big family,” Janet recalls.
But despite the constant lack of time, Graham and Janet adored and were proud of their daughters.
Happiness and joy always reigned in the house. The sisters' relationship with each other was and remains incredibly strong.
The sixteens are already 34 years old. Now they are adults and successful people.
Some of them got married and started their own families. Sarah became the first of the sisters to have children - she gave birth to daughter Yorgi in 2014.
The Walton family will grow sixfold in size and Graham and Janet are now proud grandparents.
Janet is delighted with her granddaughter:
“I loved raising and raising our daughters. I can't say that any stage in their lives was better than another. It's just that there was always so much to do that we couldn't fully enjoy our family life. With grandchildren it’s different,” Janet told the Daily Mail.
With such a large and friendly family, Yorga will have a wonderful childhood, I’m sure! It's great that Graham and Janet can now enjoy time with their granddaughter without the constant stress and hassle.
We are sure that soon more grandchildren will appear in the family!
The sextuplets recently celebrated their birthday together. Hannah, Lucy, Jenny, Ruth, Kate and Sarah took a trip to New York with their parents - their first holiday together in almost ten years!
