| SOUTH WHITLEY – Jared and Casey Frantz’s quadruplets had a 20 to 30 percent chance of living when they were born 3-1/2 months early. Casey, 28, and Jared, 30, South Whitley, had four sons who are now seven months old. They were born July 3, 2015, in Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, via C-section. Their due date was Oct. 17. “There have been a lot of prayers for these babies. We were told they had a 20 to 30 percent chance of living because they were born early at 24 weeks,” Casey said. “Parker broke his amniotic fluid sack and since he was an identical triplet and in the same sack they all had to come out.” Casey and Jared said the boys are their miracle babies, and have defeated many odds. Aiden was born at 4:55 a.m. weighing 1 pound, 11 ounces and measured 12 inches; Landon was born at 4:55 a.m. at 1 pound, 4 ounces and measured 12 inches; Parker was born at 4:56 a.m. at 1 pound, 1 ounce and 11.5 inches; and Mason was born at 4:56 a.m. at 1 pound, 9 ounces and 12 inches. Aiden, Landon and Parker are identical triplets. ‘The odds of identical triplets are not common, like one in 200 million,” Casey said. Casey found out during her six-week ultrasound that she would be giving birth to quadruplets. “The doctor had to sit down because he didn’t believe what he was seeing when he saw all four heartbeats on the ultrasound,” Casey said. “I almost passed out.” Casey’s husband said he was calm when they received the news. “It is what it is,” he said. Jared’s sister, Jodi Metzger, South Whitley, also has triplets. “We prayed about it and tried to wrap our mind around having four kids at a time,” Casey said. Casey said her pregnancy was healthy and it was her first pregnancy. She didn’t have morning sickness, but had heartburn. Casey was watching the movie “Maid Of Honor” at home when her water broke and Jared was sleeping. “I ran upstairs to wake him up at 11 p.m. July 2 and we got to Lutheran Hospital around 11:30 p.m. and they gave me medicine to keep me from going into labor as long as possible, and at 3 a.m. July 3 an ultrasound was performed,” Casey said. “Parker had broken his sac of amniotic fluid so they all had to all come.” There were four medical staff to every baby so extra staff were called in. Mason is the youngest and when he was a week old he had a hole in his colon and had colon surgery and a month later had another colon surgery and had a laser eye surgery. Mason is described as laid back as well as Landon. Parker came home on oxygen and is the smallest and had problems with his lungs. Parker’s parents describe him as a “momma’s boy.” “I’ve spent the most time with him because he spent more time in the hospital,” Casey said. Landon had surgery in December on his colon. Aiden did not have any health complications. His parents describe him as needy and he smiles and is outgoing. He is learning how to roll. “He will probably be our leader out of the group,” Casey said. They purchased a home on three acres in 2012. They were married Sept. 10, 2011. “We thought how dumb, why do we need this big house, and we now know why,” Jared said. They also upgraded their SUV to a mini van. Grandparents are Jared’s parents, Mike and Susan Frantz, South Whitley, and Casey’s parents, Mike and Tracey Reichert, Ohio. Susan comes Wednesdays to help take care of the kids and on weekends. Mike and Tracey have come to visit their grandchildren. Diane Williams, the couples’s friend from church at Liberty Mills Church of the Brethren, has helped take care of the boys since they were born. “I come three times a week and help give medicine and also with feeding and changing diapers and putting them to sleep,” Williams said. “They are all like family to me.” Casey works one day a week at the Allergy and Asthma Center, Warsaw. Jared works at Dennis Polk Equipment, Warsaw, and sells agriculture equipment and looks forward to raising their boys with Casey. He said he looks forward to teaching them to ride bikes and go out on their ATV and ride the tractor with him. “They are very happy babies and sleep through the night and are not overly fussy. They like anything with color and movement and are starting to notice each other,” Casey said. They said they went through a minimum of 40 diapers a day when the boys were first born, and fed them every three hours when they first came home. They now go through 24 to 30 diapers a day, and are fed every four hours and sleep from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. “You would feed them for an hour and a half and sleep for an hour and a half when they first came home,” Jared said. Jared said he and his cousin Kyle Frantz, Indianapolis, were the last to carry on the Frantz name, so Jared said it is nice to have boys to carry on the family name. |
