Special delivery: Quads born at GRMC

When Julianne Kirkland told her husband Matt they were expecting not one, not two, but “three babies, possibly four,” he zoned out while staring at the microwave.

About 15 minutes later, when the shock began to dissipate, Matt told Julianne, “Well, OK. God is really blessing us, so he must think we can handle this.” Then he began to think about how to make room for the babies with two sons Campbell, 5, and Jack, 3, already at their Watkinsville, Ga., home.

QuadAshton Blake.
Ashton Blake is one of the three boys in the set of quadruplets delivered to Matt and Julianne Kirkland at Georgia Regents Medical Center on Saturday, March 21.

Dr. Paul Browne, Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the Labor & Delivery team at Georgia Regents Medical Center delivered the quadruplets – three boys and a girl – via C-section on Saturday night, March 21. The last time quads were delivered at the hospital was about 18 years ago, as they are very rare.

Quad.Walker.Mom
Julianne Kirkland enjoys some skin-to-skin contact with one of her quads, Walker Hayes, in the NICU at Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

The Kirklands named the boys Ashton Blake, Walker Hayes, and Meyers Wayne, and the baby girl, whom Matt is already calling the family’s little princess, is named Bradlee Ann. The babies were born at 31 weeks, but all are in good health and being cared for in the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

QuadMeyersWayne3
Meyers Wayne Kirkland, one of the quads, is being bathed in ultraviolet light as his 31-week body continues to develop.

“Everyone at the hospital has been amazing. We can’t say enough about Dr. Browne and the staff here,” said Julianne on Tuesday as she sat with Matt in the NICU waiting room and talked to a local news reporter. “We feel truly blessed with four healthy babies.”

Quads.KirklandParents
Matt and Julianne Kirkland have been in the media spotlight since word spread about their quadruplets’ birth on Saturday. Julianne has been blogging about her experience throughout her pregnancy on a special Facebook page called Oh My Quad – Kirkland’s Journey.

The Kirklands hope to take the babies home within the next 7 to 9 weeks where they say they have already been assured of help from their family, church, and community.

 

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Written by
Denise Parrish

Denise Parrish is Director of Communications for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Augusta University. Contact her to schedule an interview on this topic at 706-721-9760 or mparrish@augusta.edu.

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Avatar photo Written by Denise Parrish

Jagwire is your source for news and stories from Augusta University. Daily updates highlight the many ways students, faculty, staff, researchers and clinicians "bring their A games" in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state of Georgia.

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