For most people, the idea of going from having no children to raising five newborns at once might seem overwhelming. But for 36-year-old Theresa Troia of El Paso, Texas, the experience feels almost natural—because she herself was born a quadruplet. Now, as a first-time mother of quintuplets, her story is both extraordinary and heartwarming.
On June 3, Troia delivered five healthy babies via caesarean section at Las Palmas Medical Center. Her children—Kyla Rose, Joseph Anthony, Jaxon Thomas, Viviana Lily, and Isabella Gianna—include two identical twins among the siblings. The birth marked a medical milestone as the hospital’s very first set of quintuplets.
“To me, the normal is multiples, you know, because I don’t obviously know any different,” she told ABC News. “But it was nice growing up and always having a sibling there.”
Her perspective reflects her own upbringing as one of four children born at the same time. Theresa grew up with her three brothers—Joseph, Matthew, and Thomas—and says that being a quadruplet gave her a sense of closeness that many families never experience. That background may also have influenced her body’s likelihood of carrying multiples.
The rarity of quintuplets
A quintuplet birth—five babies born in one pregnancy—is considered exceptionally rare, happening in about one in 60 million births, according to Dr. Rachael Morris, associate professor of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Even rarer is when such pregnancies occur without the use of fertility treatments, as was the case for Troia.
Medical research has shown that women over 30 are more likely to conceive multiples, and the chances increase even further if the mother is herself a twin, triplet, or quadruplet. This makes Troia’s case remarkable, yet medically explainable.
Dr. Aaron Poole, an OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist who treated Theresa and her babies, emphasized the complexity of the delivery. “The birth of Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare’s first set of quintuplets is a rare and special moment, and we’re proud to have provided the high level of care necessary to support Theresa and her babies from delivery through recovery,” he said.
He praised the hospital’s neonatal team, noting that thoughtful planning and round-the-clock coordination were essential to ensuring that all five newborns were delivered safely and given the best possible start in life. The Level III neonatal intensive care unit at Las Palmas is designed to handle high-risk pregnancies with advanced technology and specialized staff.
A smooth pregnancy against the odds
While carrying five babies would be considered high-risk under any circumstances, Troia described her pregnancy as surprisingly smooth. Aside from some bleeding in her first trimester, she says she avoided the typical side effects of pregnancy. “I didn’t have any nausea, vomiting, cravings, anything like that. I didn’t have any swelling. So I was really lucky,” she explained.
Her positive pregnancy experience, coupled with strong medical support, made the delivery safer than expected. For the babies, born premature as most multiples are, the first weeks were spent in neonatal care. Ten weeks after their birth, three of the infants had already left the NICU, and all were reported to be growing well. “They’re all doing great and they’re all growing,” Troia said proudly. “You would never know that they were premature babies or quintuplets.”
Challenges of motherhood
Despite her optimistic outlook, Troia admits that raising five babies as a single mother feels overwhelming at times. “It’s surreal, scary at the same time, because it’s zero to five, immediate. It’s an instant family, but it’s beautiful,” she reflected. Like many parents of multiples, she now faces the logistical and emotional challenges of balancing round-the-clock care for five infants—feeding schedules, sleep routines, and medical appointments—all without the support of a partner.
Community support will likely play a large role in helping her navigate this new chapter. Family and friends have stepped in to assist, and healthcare providers remain engaged in monitoring the babies’ progress. Stories like hers often inspire community outreach, as neighbors and local groups rally to provide resources for families managing extraordinary circumstances.
A unique family legacy
What makes Troia’s story even more remarkable is the multigenerational pattern of multiples in her family. From her own birth as a quadruplet to the arrival of her quintuplets, her family line reflects some of the rarest outcomes in childbirth. Medical experts note that while genetics may play a role, the chances of such occurrences remain extraordinarily small. For Troia, it simply feels like destiny. “It’s my normal,” she says, “just multiplied.”
For now, Theresa is embracing the joy of motherhood, cherishing every moment with her five little ones, and proving that extraordinary families can be built in extraordinary ways. As she put it best: “They’re so healthy. They’re so beautiful. I couldn’t ask for more.”
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