A couple is “over the moon” after beating “one in 200 million” by having identical triplets.
Parents Jenni and James Casper were amazed to discover they had naturally fathered three identical babies last year.
The three baby girls – named Harper-Gwen, Marvella and Evalynn – were born nine weeks premature at York Hospital on March 31.
Jenni, 27, and James, 26, had initially been told they were expecting twins, the odds of which are about one in 250.
But the couple said they were speechless when they found out at the 12-week scan that they would be having triplets instead.
Parents Jenni and James Casper were amazed to discover they had naturally fathered three identical babies last year
The three baby girls – named Harper-Gwen, Marvella and Evalynn – were delivered nine weeks early at York Hospital on March 31
The couple are now the parents of five daughters, and their newborns can now come home and meet their older sisters Danica, 10, and Gabriella, four.
James, a garbage collector from Selby, North Yorks, said the whole situation is a bit “surreal” but “amazing.”
“Now that we’re home and moved in with them, it’s a little unreal.
“But we’re just blown away and they’ve met their older sisters who are absolutely thrilled and just so excited.”
The little girls weighed 2lb 13oz, 3lb 1oz and 3lb when they were born and spent nearly six weeks in a Special Care Baby Unit at York Hospital.
The delighted parents have now been able to take their newcomers home.
“It’s great to have them home now, it makes us feel more secure knowing we have them home.”
After discovering they would be having triplets at 12 weeks, they were even more stunned to discover that the girls would be identical at the 20-week scan.
The couple are now the parents of five daughters, and their newborns can now come home and meet their older sisters Danica, 10, and Gabriella, four.
Evalynn Casper, Harper-Gwen Casper and Marvella Casper. The little girls weighed 2 lbs 13 oz, 3 lbs 1 oz and 3 lbs when they were born
Marvella Casper when she was first born in her incubator. She has now been brought home with her sisters
“Jenni called me as soon as she found out and she told me on the phone,” James said.
“At first I didn’t believe her, I thought it was funny because we joked and said ‘can you imagine us having triplets?’
“She sent me the scan photos of all three of their heads together and my jaw dropped.
“I was speechless and just didn’t know what to do. I was like ‘what do we do now?’
Evalynn Casper gave birth for the first time in her incubator, having been born nine weeks premature
“I was in tears and then I was happy and then I thought how are we going to do and it was a whole mix of emotions.”
James said that Harper-Gwen, Marvella and Evalynn are all “literally identical” and they have to put them in certain seats so they know who’s who.
“As they get a little older, they start to grow in their features. Now they are literally identical.
“For the first two days they were home, we left their hospital wristbands with their names on them.
After discovering they would be having triplets at 12 weeks, they were even more stunned to discover that the girls would be identical at the 20-week scan.
Jenni Casper 27, with her newborn triplets, Evalynn Casper, Harper-Gwen Casper and Marvella Casper
‘Now we have specific seats and jumping chairs for that.
“So we have three different ones and we put them in the same chair so we know which is which.”
“If me and Jenni had to close our eyes and someone mixed them up, it would be very hard to tell who is who.”
James has said he thinks that’s “great,” especially since multiple births don’t happen on both sides of their families.
“It’s one in 200 million because they’re all identical girls and they share one placenta and it fed them all.”
He added that the couple should make the most of their happiness: “It’s absolutely amazing and I told Jenni she can now enter the raffle.
“If our luck is this good, then it should definitely keep stretching.
“It’s absolutely amazing, we really couldn’t be happier.”
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