(Photo courtesy Corpus Christi Medical Center)
Sylvia Hernandez and Roel Torrez are now the proud parents of identical triplet girls, two of whom are conjoined. This means a single fertilized egg split not just once (which would form twins), but into three genetically identical triplets, though one of those splits was ultimately incomplete and the girls grew together.
They were delivered by C-section at Texas' Corpus Christi Medical Center Saturday night, just a day shy of 34 weeks, each weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces.
Catalina Montserrat and her conjoined sisters Ximena Jackeline and Scarlett Juliet are a 1-in-50-million occurrence, reports the Washington Post, and though the delivery came with risks for the girls and their mother, who's been on bed rest since early April, all are reportedly doing well.
"God chose us for a reason, to take care of them," Torrez tells KIII TV. "He sent us little angels for a reason, so it's a big blessing for us." Ximena and Scarlett are joined at the pelvis, but doctors say they each have their own bladder, which means the doctors won't have to separate their bodily fluids to avoid infection.
But the conjoined girls will likely require months, if not years of extra care, regardless of whether they're able to be separated. Torrez says he quit his job as a painter and sandblaster to care for his wife in the final weeks of pregnancy, and the family is trying to raise $10,000 through a GoFundMe page to cover living and medical expenses.
(Identical triplets born last year were conceived naturally—another rarity.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: Mom Has Identical Triplets, Two of Them Conjoined
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