29-year-old Sammi Edes from Melbourne, Australia originally thought she was pregnant with twins. But during a routine checkup, the doctors made an unexpected discovery.
They couldn't believe what they saw during Sammi's ultrasound in her 20th week: a third heartbeat. The young single mother wasn't carrying twins after all, she was pregnant with triplets. It was amazing that they hadn't seen it before. It would've been a wonderful surprise, but the doctors saw cause for worry upon closer look. All three babies were being nourished by the same placenta.
The doctors immediately recommended that Sammi abort the third baby because all three wouldn't be able to get enough nutrients from the single placenta. They told her that keeping all three was extremely risky and that one or more might have very low chances of surviving.
Sammi was shocked. But she was also certain that she couldn't abort her baby. She said, despite her doctors advice, that it wasn't her job to "play God" and that every being deserved the same chance to live.
During her 30th week, her triplet boys were born: Hunter, Geoffrey, and Thomas.
A miracle among miracles, all three boys were healthy as could be. Even the smallest of the bunch, Thomas, whom doctors expected wouldn't survive, proved to be quite the little fighter.
After the boys were born, the doctors examined the placenta to see how it was possible that all three could be so healthy. They did this by injecting colored fluid into the ends of the three umbilical cords to see which parts of the sack had been connected to which baby.
The result was a spectacular image, but proved that the nourishment of Thomas was indeed significantly less than that of his brothers.
Sammi is so happy she trusted her instinct despite the doctors' warnings. Clearly, Thomas is a survivor. Sammi Edes believes that things happen for a reason and she knew she had to give all three of her boys the same opportunities from the very beginning. She decided to share her story with other mothers out there who aren't always sure if they are making the right decision.
