eadt - Miracle triplets enjoy 9th birthday

NINE years ago, the birth of Jane and Mark Ingram's tiny triplets sent shockwaves through the medical world.Although Mary and Olivia had grown naturally in their mother's womb, sibling Ronan developed ectopically in Mrs Ingram's fallopian tube, somehow creating his own womb and blood supply.Little Ronan beat odds of 100million to one in surviving.He and his sisters have now celebrated their ninth birthdays together - something that would have defied all medical odds back in 1999.
Picture at just six months old. L-R: Olivia, Ronan, Mary Parents Jane and Mark have revealed how the traumatic birth of their young son has made the family realise the important things in life.And while all three display their own individual and unique personalities, the bond between them has put aside any adversity already experienced in their young lives.Speaking from their home in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, Mrs Ingram said: “We often think back to what happened and we just thank our lucky stars they are all here and healthy.“The whole family is so close. The older three children are very protective of the younger ones and I think we all have been through so much that it has brought us closer together. It has certainly made you realise what is important in life.”
Ronan, Olivia (left) and Mary The birth of the triplets made national headlines in 1999 when Ronan defied all medical odds when he survived despite developing in his mother's fallopian tube as an ectopic pregnancy and creating his own womb with his own blood supply.The birth was described as a miracle of modern medicine.Experts at King's College Hospital in London worked out how best to deliver the babies with a team of 26 on hand to assist with a complicated Caesarean section.Unsurprisingly, Ronan, Mary and Olivia were all tiny at birth weighing 2lbs 1oz, 2lbs 4oz and 2lbs 10oz respectively and needing round the clock care to nurse them through their first few days. Now the trio have brushed aside their precarious births to become normal, healthy children. The couple, who also has two older sons and an older daughter, said the triplets enjoyed their ninth birthday earlier this month and were now looking forward to Christmas.Mrs Ingram said: “Although there is this really close bond, they each have their own personalities now. Ronan loves his stationery, Olivia is into animals and art and she recently had work published in a children's book at her after school club, while Mary is typically girly.“They are all fit and healthy which is the main thing. They had great birthdays but they are not spoilt - only showered in love.”