Family almost doubles with birth of quintuplets

Yes! Mommie's having five more!

Evonne and Deon Derrico thought they were having twins. 

The Las Vegas-based couple has a history with sets of multiples (their family has a long lineage of twins and triplets) so the news wasn't that surprising. They already have a set of their own: 1-year-old twin boys, who are brothers to their 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

“We always wanted a big family, so when we were told we were having identical twin girls, we were thrilled,” remembers Deon. The thought of adding two more kids to their family of six was something they felt they could handle.

But more than two? That didn't even cross their minds.


“We went in for a routine ultrasound in March 2013,” says Deon. The doctor broke the news to Evonne: She was carrying four babies. But two days later, there was another surprise.

Evonne says, “We were at a follow-up ultrasound and the doctor calmly told us that they found another baby, and now there were five. I was in a daze and in complete disbelief, I needed someone to pick my jaw up from the floor!"

Deon recalls, "When we were told there was a fifth, I told the doctor to turn her upside down and inside out to make sure there weren't any others!”

For Evonne the pregnancy was a natural one, no fertility drugs, and for the next six months, Evonne and Deon made it their goal to carry the quintuplets as close to full term as possible. Evonne had no complications. She even describes her pregnancy as fairly easy despite the usual morning sickness.

Almost immediately after finding out she was carrying quintuplets, Evonne was moved to Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz., to wait out the rest of her pregnancy on bed rest under the supervision of a multiple birth specialist.

Finally, after 32 weeks gestation, the Derricos welcomed their five new babies into the world on Sept. 6 2013: two boys and three girls, named Deniko, Dariz, Deonee, Daician and Daiten.

(Names starting with a "D" are a tradition from Deon's side of the family.)

The babies weighed between 1 pound, 14 ounces; and 2 pounds, 15 ounces when they were born.

“Our babies were healthy and the doctor said that we proved him wrong time and time again. This whole experience has been one miracle after another,” says Deon.

The babies were transported back to Las Vegas on a medically staffed private plane provided by their insurance company. They'll remain in a nearby neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) under observation for another month before they’re brought home for good.

Babies loaded on jet

Deon is juggling his day job as a property manager with his at-home duties. “Luckily we have a couple spare bedrooms for family to come stay with us and help, but we'll need to get a larger car to transport our nine kids to and from doctor’s appointments and such.”

“I've been given this gift and ability to have babies and this big family,” added Evonne. “It’s really unspeakable. It’s making me want to be a better person and a better mom all the way around.”

“Just one birth is absolutely amazing, but to go through five is definitely divine,” says proud father Deon Derrico of his family’s newest additions, (two boys and three girls) who will soon join their big sister and three older brothers, two of which are twins.

Thanks to Morgan Brasfield TODAY contributor

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