Tafelsig buzzed with excitement on Monday night when three baby girls born as a set of quadruplets finally arrived home.
After spending eight weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Groote Schuur Hospital, the three tiny babies have been sent home to their doting parents.
The births of Chloe, Bronwyn and Cleo Loots made headlines earlier this year when mom Berenice Jacobs, 36, made an appeal for help with donations ahead of the extraordinary birth.
Berenice gave birth to four healthy babies, but just weeks after their arrival, the only boy, whom they named Cole, sadly died in hospital after contracting an infection.
For the past eight weeks, Berenice has been visiting the hospital every day as she takes care of the triplets by providing breastmilk and attending to their needs.
“In the last week, they transferred the girls from Groote Schuur to Lentegeur as they didn’t need intensive care anymore,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“Chloe and Cleo both now weigh 2.1kg and we had to wait for Claire to get a bit bigger as she was the kleintjie of all four babies.
“She is a fighter and we are so proud that she made it and she is now 1.8kg.”
When Daily Voice visited the family on Tuesday, their home was a hive of activity as neighbours came to help Berenice care for the babies.
“Sometimes they all cry at the same time, but I sommer pick them all out and sort them out gou-gou,” she laughs.
“When I was in hospital, I was alone with them and so I learnt very quickly how to get on with it.
“They need a lot of care but they are healthy and happy.”
Proud dad Melvyn Loots, 35, says the long ride home from work on Monday was torture as he had waited eight months to meet his daughters.
“I was never allowed at the hospital so when I was coming home I kept telling the driver ‘ry gou, my broer! Ek wil by die huis wees’. It was so lekker to meet my girls and I am so happy to have them home,” the father says.
Cousin Bronwyn says as the babies settle in, the couple are still in need of assistance.
“They need lots of things to keep going, like powder, bottles, olive oil, bath soap, towels, kimbies, shampoo and various other things and we would be grateful for any donations.”
If you would like to help, call 071 866 7676.
monique.duval@inl.co.za