In brief
Jenitar Na'amoana, aged 34, went into unnatural pre‑term labor and delivered four identical girls via caesarean at 28 weeks 4 days. The babies— Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa— are sharing a single placenta, a rarity doctors say will only happen once in 700,000 births. Dr. Alexa Bendall, who has overseen the pregnancy, reports the kids are thriving in the neonatal intensive care unit and hopes to bring them to full term. The parents, who already have four older children, are raising funds to buy a van big enough to transport the new family. The story has captured global attention and highlighted the incredible medical care delivered at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Astonishing news has emerged from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital when 34‑year‑old Jenitar Na'amoana gave birth to four identical infants.
On 14 July, a caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days delivered Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa, a baby named in tribute to the doctor who so closely monitored the extraordinary pregnancy.
Dr. Alexa Bendall, a maternal‑fetal medicine specialist, stresses that identical quadruplets are an astronomical rarity, occurring at roughly one in 700,000 births, and that shared placentas are even rarer.
The mother was admitted at 25 weeks for intensive care. Despite the high risk, the babies are progressing well and remain in the neonatal intensive care unit until they are near full term.
Jenitar, who already has four older children, and her husband, Jortham, have begun a fundraising campaign. The twins’ arrival secured over A$37,000 in donations to finance a van that can accommodate the entire family.
This miraculous birth not only highlights the advanced medical procedures at Royal Brisbane but also showcases the profound resilience and generosity of a family that welcomed four newborns into a world full of anticipation.
