Ontario couple celebrates birth of identical triplets
ALEXANDRIA, Ont. — With no past history of multiple births in their families, Lee and Lacey Paquette were surprised to learn in December that they were expecting triplets. They were even more shocked when they learned the three boys would be identical.
“At first there was a lot of tears and a lot of shock,” Lacey Paquette said Sunday. “But then my husband and I knew it was meant to be and we couldn’t wait.”
“There’s no history of it in either of our families,” Lee added. “So, when our families heard that we were having triplets they first told us, ‘No way, it’s not happening.’ When they first started seeing the pictures of the ultrasounds, they got very excited about it.”
The parents only found out the triplets they were going to welcome into the world were identical two weeks after first learning they were triplets. The three are younger brothers to Damien, 2 1/2.
The three boys — Emmett, Wyatt, and Sawyer, are all healthy after being born three weeks ago. Often referred to as a three-of-a-kind birth, the event is extremely rare, with doctors reporting a one-in50-million chance of it occurring.
The triplets were delivered by C-section at the General campus of The Ottawa Hospital. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic measures resulted in a number of procedures being altered.
“My husband could not come in with me for any appointments,” Lacey said. “They kept telling us that, if things keep going the way they are, he won’t be allowed in-person for the C-section. The closer it got, the more I kept asking doctors if there was anything new happening with regulations and they kept telling that he would still not be allowed in.”
The COVID-19 safety measures resulted in Lee having to witness the birth of their triplets virtually.
“(Hospital staff) were really good about it,” Lacey said. “They had my husband on video chat and he saw the whole thing. Nurses and doctors would hold the phone and show him the birth and the babies. At least they did that for us. It was really nice of them.”
Since the birth of their triplets, the Paquettes have received much needed support from the Alexandria community.
“We live in the Kincardine Street area and everyone in our little area is giving us meals and offering to do laundry,” Lacey said. “Even Jean Coutu (pharmacy) has a multiple births program where they give $1,500 to families of multiples. Everyone in the community has been helping us a lot. We don’t know a lot of people here, but to see people who don’t know you wanting to help out so much is nice to see.”
To assist with their triplets, the family established a Go Fund Me page, accessible by visiting www.gofundme. com/f/life-with-toddler-andidentical-triplets.
“Keeping up with them with diapers, wipes and formula is costly,” Lacey said. “It’s also costly on sleep. They feed every three hours, so, by the time my husband and I finish feeding them all and changing them, we get about an hour’s worth of sleep.”