An Irish-American family went from four to seven in the space of an hour when Cormac, Declan and Kevin – identical triplets – were born to Desmond and Kerry Lyons on October 10 at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.
It was at the ten-week ultrasound that Kerry and Desmond – also parents to three-year-old Liam and one-year-old Ciara – discovered the “shocking yet wonderful” news that Kerry, who had not undergone any fertility treatment, was expecting identical triplets, something doctors say is a one in 100 million chance.
Planning for just one more child to complete their family, Kerry, 37, and Desmond, 41, said it was “a total shock but we were absolutely delighted.”
The triplets arrived after 36 weeks of pregnancy via a Cesarean section.
Kevin was born weighing six pounds, Declan was five pounds, eight ounces and Cormac was five pounds, three ounces. Desmond said it was important to them to keep their Irish heritage alive through giving all five of their children Irish names.
Creating a system to identify each triplet, Kerry explains that for the moment, clothes color is the way they distinguish each child from the other.
Cormac is always dressed in green, Declan in blue and Kevin in everything else. “We haven’t yet had to paint their toenails to tell them apart,” laughs Kerry.
Desmond Lyons, whose father, the late Dr. Michael Lyons of County Cork, was honored by Irish America magazine in 2004 for his work in discovering the links between smoking and lung cancer, is partner in Lyons/McGovern law firm in Sleepy Hollow with a second office in Manhattan. Kerry, who works as a clients’ service director with Mindset Media, an Internet ad network for brands located in Manhattan, is hoping to return to work in the New Year.
“Well, that is the plan for now but we will have to see how we can work it out with these little boys,” she told Irish America.
Looking forward to what the future has to offer, Kerry and Desmond and their five bundles of joy (and not forgetting Finnegan their dog) will spend much quality time together as a family. There will be, however, “no more babies,” smiles Kerry.
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