1-in-50-million identical triplets making ‘excellent’ progress in Kamloops hospital

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Rare identical triplets born in Kamloops are healthy and growing in hospital.

The girls named Hannah, Rileigh and Isabelle were born by C-section on Nov. 3, at about eight weeks premature.

They weighed just over three pounds each.

Their parents, Mahalia and Mike Meeuwsen, say they are making excellent progress in the neonatal intensive care unit at Royal Inland Hospital.

Doctors say the odds of having identical triplets, who were conceived without the use of fertility treatments, are one in 50 million births.

The babies were scheduled to make their debut on Nov. 16, but complications meant an earlier delivery date.

Mahalia Meeuwsen said her daughters' intravenous lines have been removed and they no longer need equipment that was helping with their breathing.

“The girls are doing amazing, gaining weight and doing great,” she said.

Meeuwsen is thrilled that all three babies can be taken from their incubators and cuddled together.

They are still being fed with tubes into their stomachs, but are beginning to breast- and bottle-feed.

There is no word yet on when the triplets might be going home to Salmon Arm.