BY DANA SCHAUMBURG
DANVILLE — At two weeks old today, the Ferrill Five keep their parents on their toes.
The quintuplets, three boys and two girls, were born Dec. 21 to Pete and Jenny Ferrill of Danville. Now, the couple spends a lot of time by the babies’ sides as they stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“It’s a giant roller coaster ride. Everybody is trying to hang on and do their best,” said Karen Butikas, Jenny’s mother. “The kids are little fighters.”
Butikas already spent time down at the hospital before and after their births. She plans to spend more time there in the coming days to help support her daughter and son-in-law.
“They’ve had some setbacks,” Butikas said of the babies’ health, but added, “The doctors seem to be pleased with their progress so far.”
But besides the medical challenges the family has dealt with, Butikas remembers her first time holding one of the babies. She held Landyn recently and also received a visit from two of her co-workers that day.
“That was a precious moment,” she said.
“That was kind of neat to see,” said Nancy Cook, who is a fifth-grade teacher at Judith Giacoma Elementary School in Westville and has worked with Butikas for 13 years.
Cook and Linda Chernausky went down to the hospital last week to visit the family.
“I couldn’t believe how big they were. I just expected them to be a lot smaller,” Cook said of the quintuplets, adding the babies were moving around, and they even heard a few of them cry.
“For what they’ve dealt with, I think they’re doing great,” she said of the family. “When you watch them with the babies, their eyes just light up.”
During their short time there, Cook said she was able to watch their little personalities start to shine.
“We were just glad we got to help Karen and Jenny and Pete and be support for them,” she added.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital held a press conference Wednesday to allow the media to meet the Ferrills and members of the medical team that delivered the babies. The Ferrill Five are the first set of quintuplets born in the hospital’s 92-year history and cared for in the newly opened NICU at the children’s hospital.
Jenny was admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Oct. 30 in her 22nd week of pregnancy and stayed on bed rest through the 31st week, when the babies were delivered successfully.
That is when Irelyn, Kieran, Landyn, Layne and Drayden were born. All are doing well and are expected to stay in the NICU for several weeks, according to a press release from the hospital.
When the new parents and Butikas aren’t at the hospital, they stay in a furnished apartment at the Ronald McDonald House. The apartment has two bedrooms, and they will be able to bring the babies there as each one is discharged until all of the babies can come home, Cook said.
The Ronald McDonald House will provide cribs for the babies during their stay there, too, she added.
Butikas said someone is at the hospital with the babies during the day and during the night, too, if there is a crisis. And the family isn’t able to get phone calls when they are in the NICU.
“It’s a very long day, more so emotionally,” she said, explaining that right now they are focusing on the health of Jenny and the babies.
“The rest is going to be secondary at this point,” Butikas said.
For those who want to help out, she asks that people continue to send cards and letters along with their thoughts and prayers.
“I can’t express what it means,” she said of the support they’ve received locally and across the country. “It’s so heartwarming to know that.”
ON THE NET
Send well wishes and monetary donations to the family through http://www.ferrillfive.com.
Watch the Web site for updates on the family also.
