At 15, doctors told Charlene Medlicott she would never have children – but five years on she has defied twenty five-million-to-one odds by giving birth to quadruplets.
The gorgeous girls, Evelynn, Gracie-Lou, Rosaline and Amalia-Rose Connaughton are six months old and have been christened in a heartwarming ceremony in their hometown of Telford, Shropshire.
Remarkably, all four were conceived naturally, in a quadruplet pregnancy which is considered to be very rare and potentially very dangerous.
Charlene, 20, was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries as a teenager, a condition which restricts ovulation and dramatically reduces a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.
She and partner Mark Connaughton were stunned to discover they were expecting – but an even bigger surprise came six weeks into the pregnancy when doctors confirmed it was quads.
Mark, 26, said: “It was a big shock to the system! To find out you’re having one is enough a surprise, but four is very different.”
The little girls were born even more of a miracle as they all survived, despite doctors advising Charlene to abort two of them to give the other two a better chance of survival.
More than 100 friends and family turned up to see the babies christened by vicar Rev. Rosemary Freeman – who still had trouble telling them apart.
Evelynn Lillian Julie and her twin Rosaline Anita Mae were born prematurely in the same delivery as Gracie-Lou Anne and her twin Amalia-Rose Rachael on December 11.
They all spent several weeks in neo-natal care before their parents were allowed to take them home.
Charlene said: “We have learned to deal with them very well – they are all very well behaved babies.
“They cry when they want something but then they just go back to sleep. There’s always one who wants something though.
“You can tell they will argue when they are older – they already have little tiffs to get more attention.”
Maternal grandmother Anita McCrea, 42, added: “We love them all so much and can’t imagine how we would live without all four of them.
