The return of the Famous Fiveski!
Moscow doctors said they’d never survive – only for Britain to come to the rescue. Now those Russian quins are back to meet their deliverer...
IT IS a story of faith, courage and determination in the face of immense pressure. When Dimitri and Varvara Artamkin found they were expecting quintuplets, the medical authorities in Russia said they must abort some of them to ensure the survival of the rest. But they refused, deciding instead to place their trust in the expertise of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
It was a gamble that paid off in spectacular style – and a story that captured British hearts. Not only did the medical team defy all expectations by delivering the five girls safely, the quintuplets went on to thrive under its dedicated care.
Now, just over seven years since their remarkable birth, the girls – Elizaveta, Alexandra, Nadezhda, Tatiana and Varvara Artamkin – have returned to Britain from their home in Moscow to pay a touching tribute to the doctors and nurses who pulled off the modern miracle. ‘It’s fantastic to be here with the girls seeing everyone again,’ said Dimitri, 36.
‘We are so thankful to the doctors and nurses who took care of Varvara and the girls – they did the most amazing job. We’ve come here to show our gratitude to them. We’ve shown the girls so many pictures of the team as they’ve grown up, so they were very excited to meet them in person and see the place where they were born. It’s very special to us all.’
Every detail of their delivery by caesarean on November 10, 2007 had to be planned with precision, with a team of 18 doctors and nurses on standby to provide the finest care available. The babies were whisked into intensive care, and the day after their birth they were separated because so much specialist equipment was needed to care for them. Two were taken to London’s Queen Charlotte’s Hospital and then Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, while three remained at John Radcliffe.
Staff at John Radcliffe were delighted to see the girls again. Dr Lawrence Impey, the consultant obstetrician who oversaw their births, remembers the day well. He said: ‘It was planned like a military operation, and the stakes were high. Statistically, it didn’t look as though all five would make it – I had to talk to Varvara and Dimitri about the risks. So it’s wonderful to see all the girls so healthy and happy.’
The Artamkins touched Britain with their story, which they shared with The Mail on Sunday after the girls’ birth.
The couple, who have known each other since childhood, were delighted to discover that Varvara was pregnant in 2007 following a course of fertility treatment. But when they learned they were expecting five children, doctors in Russia told them aborting some of the babies was the only option to ensure the survival of any of them – and of Varvara herself. The couple, members of the Russian Orthodox Church, refused and sought specialist help instead. A doctor advised them that they should travel to Britain.
Although not poor by Russian standards, Dimitri, a mathematics professor, and Varvara, 36, who has worked as a music teacher, are by no means well-off. Their trip and treatment were funded by a generous local businessman.
Live births of such a large number of babies are extremely rare and the risks to the mother are high. In the majority of cases, they either miscarry or the babies are born too prematurely to survive. But the quintuplets were delivered safely, despite being 14 weeks early and ranging in weight from just 1lb 13oz to 2lb 2oz. Each baby had one doctor and two nurses assigned to her, and within days they were all breathing by themselves.
Dimitri said at the time: ‘They are so small, but very strong. They are little fighters.’
After four months of treatment here, the family returned home to the outskirts of Moscow in March 2008 to begin their new life together. The council offered them a house and Varvara gave up her job to devote herself to the all-consuming task of looking after the girls. They will go to school this September, but in the meantime Varvara is paid an allowance by the state to teach them at home. The girls are learning English, and their parents allow them to watch Peppa Pig to help them with the language, although they’re not allowed to watch any other television. They go to church every week and sing in the choir.
‘They are hard work, but they are worth it,’ said Varvara. ‘They’re very close, although they do clash sometimes, like all siblings. They dress alike because they get jealous if one’s wearing something different.
‘They all have their own distinct personalities, and we’re encouraging them to be their own people. Nadezhda and Elizaveta both love reading, and Varvara, who’s the tallest, is the most serious, while Tatiana is always smiling.’
Dimitri added: ‘Alexandra is the leader, although they’d all like to be. ‘There’s no quiet one. They are all noisy.’
The couple saved up for their trip back to Britain because they were desperate for the girls to return to the place of their birth. Dimitri said: ‘We believe God gave the girls to us as a gift and sent us here to give them the best chance of survival. It was very important to us for them to know the people who did so much for them. We cannot thank them enough. I hope the girls will remember this visit for the rest of their lives, and always feel grateful for the care they received.’