The Spicocchi quintuplets of Massillon celebrated their first birthday Wednesday at Akron Children’s Hospital.
The babies called the hospital home for months following their births Aug. 3.
The babies’ mother, Amie Spicocchi, a pediatric nurse at Aultman Hospital in Canton, was hospitalized at Akron General Medical Center for 10 weeks prior to their premature births at 24 weeks. Each baby weighed less than two pounds at birth; they now weigh between 17› and 21 pounds.
Wednesday, the babies came back to celebrate with staff members from Akron General and Akron Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit where they were taken shortly after birth. Even before the children were born, each was assigned a team of doctors, specialized neonatal nurses and a cadre of others at both hospitals to greet and care for them. The staff at Children’s continues to monitor their progress.
“We were talking about where we were last year and where we are now,” said Vince Spicocchi. “We can’t even describe how blessed we are that they are all here and all healthy.”
Wednesday marked another milestone, said Spicocchi, a Massillon firefighter-paramedic. “Starting today, Gia was the last one out of the bunch to crawl,” he said.
The celebration and reunion of family, doctors, nurses and other caregivers at the hospital gave the Spicocchi family, which included big sister Taylor, 15, and brother Grady, 5, an opportunity to thank everyone once again.
At 24 weeks, multiple-birth babies have a 50 percent chance of survival, said Vince Spicocchi. And the odds are lower as the number of children increases, he said.
“When I was driving up here last year, I was pretty much given into the fact we would lose a couple of them,” he said.
Not only did all five survive, but they also appear to be thriving.
“Looking at these babies now, it is a testament to the parents and all the people who helped … it’s amazing,” said Dr. John Ahmann, one of the children’s neonatologists.
Each child has a different personality, said their dad. Ilah, sometimes referred to as “Ilah-bear,” has earned her nickname, he said.
“If she’s upset, she lets you know if she’s not pleased about something,” he said.
Gia, the first baby to go home last year, is considered a little clown, silly and playful. Enzo, the only boy in the group, loves to wrestle and appeared ready to take on any sibling in his path. Paige, the smallest of the bunch at birth, is still tiny, but the first to crawl, pull herself up and the first and only one to have teeth. Ellie is considered the thinker of the bunch, appearing to analyze situations before she acts. She has been known to offer her thumb to any of the others who need soothing, her parents said.
“They say ‘dada’ and ‘mama’ and shake their heads no, sometimes a lot,” said their father.
Keeping everyone on strict schedules may be monotonous, but it keeps things calm, said Amie Spicocchi, who said she can count on one hand how often all of them have cried at the same time.
Dr. Diane Langkamp, director of Children’s Neonatal Follow-up Clinic and the mother of twins herself, said that fact was pretty impressive with five babies in the same household.
“I’m impressed with how calm they all are,” she said.
Even the mountain of laundry the children produce in a day doesn’t get Amie Spicocchi down. She said she agrees with something a mother of triplets once told her.
“I’d rather have my hands full than empty,” she said.
Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.