Mom Holds Her Newborn Triplets For The First Time, She Doesn’t Know She’ll Never See Them Again
It was a truly joyous experience for this mom when she safely delivered her triplets and carried them in her arms. She wholly believed, without any inkling of a doubt, that there would be so many other opportunities to hold her babies close to her. But that was not to be because something terrible happened. Cassia wasn’t ready for her picture to be taken yet; she groaned and told her husband Joe that she had just given birth and she looked frumpy. She asked if he could take a picture after she’d had a proper shower and was dressed in something other than a hospital gown.
He shook his head playfully and insisted that now was the best time. According to him, the point of making memories was taking photos in the moment to capture something genuine. Of course, she looked tired; she had delivered their three children after all. She had a right to be, but she also looked happy and beautiful, and he wanted her to remember that. “If you wait until you’re perfect for the camera, wouldn’t it feel too doctored? Relax, I’ll make you look good,” he promised.
Cassia narrowed her eyes at him because she didn’t believe him. He was fond of taking pictures of her unawares in the kitchen, walking outdoors, grocery shopping, and during family dinners. Cassia had often asked him to put away his phone, and he had always said he would, but unexpectedly, he would whip it out and take an embarrassing shot. If she argued that it was ugly and he should delete it, he would insist she looked beautiful.
Seeing how Joe wouldn’t back down from taking a photo, Cassia finally accepted to one condition – that she changed out of her hospital gown. At least, he thought it was fair enough, and so she did. Then he guided her into some poses around the hospital room and asked her to smile. He took a few shots and showed them to her. She pointed out a few of her favorites and said he could delete the rest.
“How about a photo without triplets?” he gushed excitedly. Cassia smiled, showing off her white teeth. She was in as much high spirits as he was and eagerly asked him to bring them over. She hadn’t held them yet. Joe asked her to sit upright against the headboard of the bed, and with a nurse’s assistance, he placed the triplets in Cassia’s arms. She looked like she was about to burst with joy. He asked her how it felt to hold her babies for the first time. She sighed in bliss and replied that it felt like heaven.
Joe snapped away, taking several shots of his wife and children, his eyes turning misty with joy and pride. When they were finished with taking pictures, the nurse took the triplets back to their crib and instructed Cassia to rest some more. Since it hadn’t been that long since she woke up from an anesthesia-induced sleep, Cassia also felt really sore from the C-section she had undergone several hours ago. But she much preferred being awake and watching her babies than sleeping. Regardless, Joe could see how tired she was and also asked her to sleep. He kissed her on the forehead and held her hand until she was fast asleep.
Joe didn’t leave immediately. He remained on a chair beside Cassia’s bed and watched her for a while. Cassia looked beautiful and at peace while she slept. Joe thought of her as the most beautiful woman in the world, which is why he loved taking photos of her. Still clutching her hand, he kissed the back of it, and grateful tears sprung to his eyes. He was thankful that it was over, and the triplets were finally here.
Cassia was in her mid-30s when she had discovered that she was pregnant. She told Joe, and he was jubilant. The couple had always one of the large family, and there had been delays on the road to fulfilling that dream. The couple already had two daughters who were age 6 and 2 years old. They hadn’t intended for that 4-year gap between the girls, but things had turned out like that, and they believed that it was for the best.
After having their first child, the couple had fallen on hard times. Joe had gotten laid off while Cassie had experienced a pay cut at her place of work. Things had gotten so bad that they could barely afford basic needs and had considered getting on welfare. They had counted themselves fortunate that they only had one child to worry about. For years, they had struggled to make ends meet.
Cassie had fallen pregnant once during those years, but she had miscarried in her first trimester. It had been a loss the couple had mourned, and they had found solace in each other. For the meantime, they had focused on being present parents for their daughters and spending time together as a family.
Cassia was a good homemaker. She often decorated the house with cheerful colors, putting up bright curtains, cross-shaded centerpieces, and beaded flower vases. There was always food at home, and it usually smelled like cookies and tasty treats too. The family always gathered around the dining table to enjoy dinner and liked to discuss with one another, finding out what the other person was up to.
They may not have had money, but they were content. Fortunately, things had turned around for the good of the family. Joe had started a farm after getting laid off, and it had gradually grown until it became quite large. He even had to hire farm hands to assist him. Farming was his passion, and he had been happy to grow produce and take care of animals.
Cassie had also gotten a better job, and soon the family were doing better financially. The second daughter was born soon after. 2 years later, they had found out that they were expecting again, but their hearts didn’t quake in fear. Instead, it was elevated in joy because this was what they had prayed for. They had gone to the hospital for an ultrasound and had discovered that they were having triplets.
Upon hearing the news, it felt as if their joy had been magnified threefold. For weeks, they had walked on Cloud9 and discussed what it would be like to raise three children at once. They had imagined if the triplets would be identical or not, what kind of names they would have, should the names rhyme or not, and how loud their home would be with five children. They had pretended to dread what was coming, but they were mostly thrilled and couldn’t wait to get started.
However, unpalatable news had come knocking. Cassie had noticed mild bleeding at 10 weeks into her pregnancy, and she had also observed she was constantly feeling cramps and dizziness. She hadn’t felt this way in her first two pregnancies, but she assumed that this was happening because she was carrying multiple babies. Joe had noticed her extreme discomfort and unease, no matter how much she had tried to hide it from him. She hadn’t wanted to make him worry, but Joe wasn’t having it. He had driven her to the hospital for a checkup, although the distance was more than an hour away from where they lived, and he had canceled everything on his schedule for the day.
After the hospital, the doctor had carefully examined Cassia, asked her questions, and gently pressed specific parts of her body, observing Cassia’s pain reactions. In the end, the doctor had informed the couple that Cassia was undergoing a high-risk pregnancy given her age and the fact that she would be having triplets. The couple had listened attentively, and when she was done talking, Joe had asked her what they could do.
The doctor had advised Cassia to have her babies prematurely by taking medication that would induce labor. She wasn’t to carry them past 30 weeks, or it might pose a dangerous risk to her health. “But what about my babies? Won’t having them early be bad for them?” Worry had laced into Cassia’s voice, shaking it slightly. The doctor had sighed and clasped her hands together. She had shared the honest truth with the couple: premature babies were always at risk for all manner of things and usually didn’t grow or develop at the pace of babies carried to term. But they would most likely be fine because medical science was advanced and would care for them. However, if Cassie carried the babies in her body until term, there was no telling what sort of complication might arise.
Cassia hadn’t wanted to put her babies in harm’s way, no matter what happened to her. She had confided in Joe in the privacy of their bedroom, and he had been visibly concerned, frowns marring his forehead. Cassia had smoothed them away and kissed them, asking him to have faith that she would be fine. He had believed her because not only was she a strong woman, she had never lied to him in the past. There was no reason to doubt her.
The couple had made adjustments in their plans once they came to the conclusion that there would be no early delivery. At almost 30 weeks of pregnancy, Cassia had moved from their rural farmhouse to another house closer to the hospital, in case she needed emergency care. Joe had moved with her and stayed close in case she needed him for anything. He had been so attentive, giving her back rubs, foot rubs, and making chocolate drinks on nights she had struggled to sleep because she couldn’t get into a comfortable position. He stayed up with her, watching reruns of her favorite movies and getting midnight snacks.
At 34 weeks of pregnancy, Cassia had gone into labor. Joe hadn’t been at home at the time; he had gone out to check on some business after weeks of neglecting it. Cassie had been insistent that he did. She didn’t want him tied up at home because of her. Few hours after he had left, Cassia had started feeling contractions. She had clapped her mouth shut so that she wouldn’t scream out loud; sweat had broken out on her brow. She had reached for her phone and called the hospital’s emergency care. There had been a 15-minute drive away. Fortunately, the hospital had responded promptly and sent an ambulance.
Joe had been called and informed; in half an hour, he had run into the labor ward, panting. Cassie had been flooded with relief to see him. The sight of him had made her hopeful. She had smiled at him, then the doctors had gently asked Joe to wait outside, and they had sedated Cassia before beginning the surgery. Cassia’s triplets were pink with health when they were born. There were two boys and one girl, and their loud cries had felt like a competition to show off who would be the most memorable of the day. The doctors had laughed about this, recognizing this as a good sign.
After Cassia woke up from her nap, the doctors came to see how she was doing. Cassia said she felt better and just wanted to go home. The doctor smiled kindly, saying she understood how she must be feeling, but that wasn’t possible yet. At this answer, Cassia froze, wondering if anything was wrong. The doctors asked her not to worry, explaining it was normal procedure considering she just got through a high-risk pregnancy. This happened on the 29th of January 2016.
A few days later, the doctors discharged Cassia because they didn’t notice anything amiss. The triplets would have to stay at the neonatal intensive care unit for a couple of weeks to gain weight and finish developing. Joe and his two beautiful daughters planned a grand welcome home surprise. There were balloons, a cake, and her room was made up nicely.
Two days after Cassia returned home, she woke up in the morning with a sharp pain in her chest and erasing heartbeat. She knew something was up and tapped Joe, begging him to take her to the hospital immediately. She put on a brave face for her daughters, who were afraid and asked if mommy was okay. She hugged them tight, covered each girl’s face with kisses, and looked them in the eye, telling them she would be right back.
But the instant she was in the car alone with Joe, her mask fell, and she cried while gritting her teeth. Halfway to the hospital, Cassie suddenly sat up and asked Joe to park the car. With tears in her eyes, she asked him to hug her. He didn’t understand and wanted to rush to the hospital, but she begged him to listen to her and do as she said. Pulling away from her after the hug, Joel saw that Cassia was gasping hard. “I don’t think I can make it, love.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Joe shook his head wildly, bewildered. He told her to fight; there was a whole life ahead of them. He reminded her of their daughters, who would make their hair, who would bake cakes on their graduation days and choose their dresses. “What about when they wed? Cassie, you need to be there for all of that.”
Cassia gently cupped his face in her hands and whispered that he had to promise her that he would take care of their children, all of them. He closed his eyes in pain as tears gushed out. He asked her to stay with them and do that herself. Cassia squeezed his shirt, slowly fell on his chest, and lost consciousness. He tried to shake her awake, but she didn’t stir. This happened on February 8th.
Joe was numb as he quietly drove her to the hospital, where doctors did their best to revive her, but it was unfruitful. Joe’s shoulders shook as he cried into his hands. The doctors informed him that the cause of her death was a blood clot that developed in her lungs following her pregnancy and the C-section she had to have. Joe didn’t know how to continue living after that day. Whenever anyone asked him about Cassia, he described her as perfect.
She was the type of woman who made people feel at ease and loved. She made clothes for women, visited many when they were sick, and brought food for them. She was always volunteering for causes. Whenever daughters couldn’t stop talking about Cassia, she said her mother went to heaven, a home for angels like her. Joe had a tough time mourning because it was combined with responsibilities of being a father and mother to five children, especially the triplets who required constant attention.
However, help arose in unexpected places. Friends, neighbors, and well-wishers took turns coming over to assist with the children. As for the finances, friends started up a Cassia Rot Memorial Fund online for $10,000, but contributions totaled over $152,000. Joe and his older daughters had tears of gratitude overflowing. At least Joe didn’t have to worry about finances and returning to work anytime soon.
Moving on had been tough and with its own adventures. Fate never sends a person a trial they won’t be able to overcome. Joe seems to be on the right track, and over the years, he’s shared pictures of him and the children online. It’s truly beautiful to see the children growing up so well.
What advice would you offer to Joe and his children as they go through life’s challenges and cherish Cassia’s legacy? Your wisdom could make a difference. Share it with us in the comments, and thank you for watching.
