Having one child undergo surgery is stressful enough,but imagine having three in the O.R. on the same day!That was what John and Evelyn Hess of Mount Vernon, N.Y., faced on May 2, 2006. Each of their triplets, who were delivered three months early at NYU, needed surgery to repair a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a hole between the aorta and the pulmonary artery that normally closes after birth, but not in many preemies.
The smallest of the three weighed in at 1 lb. 2 oz., the largest at 1 lb. 12 oz. “They were so premature, the doctors in the neonatal care unit didn’t know if they were going to survive, even before the surgery,” says Ms. Hess. “We were terrified.” One by one, the tiny babies were taken into the O.R. by Dr. David Meyer for a PDA ligation, a minimally invasive procedure to close the stubborn hole. “It was probably the toughest day of my life,” says their mom. “But Dr. Meyer was fantastic. We had total confidence in him.” Today, a year later, the babies—Audriana, Darius, and Domenica—are struggling a bit with problems common to preemies, but their hearts are strong. “They are doing well,” Ms. Hess beams. “They are catching up.”