Parenthood often unfolds as an unpredictable journey filled with hopes, dreams, and unexpected surprises. Ashton Rawley and her husband, Eric, embarked on this journey with hearts full of determination, enduring the trials of fertility challenges, and defying the odds to welcome not one, not two, but three sets of twins into their loving family.
Ashton’s decision to conceive for the third time came with little inkling that life had a staggering twist in store—an extraordinary twist that defied the boundaries of possibility. At 33 years old, Ashton candidly expressed, “It felt like everyone around us was living their dream of parenthood. One pregnancy announcement followed another, and our longing for a child grew stronger with each passing day.”
The Rawleys, a couple from Singers Glen, Virginia, had been grappling with unexplained infertility for four long years. Their journey led them to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 2016, which ultimately resulted in the birth of twin girls, Amelia and Eloise, now thriving at the age of 5. This initial success was achieved by transferring two embryos during the IVF procedure.
With their hearts set on expanding their family, the Rawleys decided to go for a third child, hoping for a family of five. Surprisingly, their journey took an unexpected turn when the single embryo they implanted divided, giving rise to not one but two sets of identical twin boys—Owen and Wyatt. Dr. James Grifo, MD, PhD, head of the NYU Langone Fertility Center, noted that there’s only a 1% possibility of such a remarkable occurrence.
The Rawleys believed their family was complete, but destiny had one more awe-inspiring twist in 2021. Ashton experienced what she described as “extreme, super sickness,” leading her to suspect another pregnancy. She admitted, “We would have never conceived without fertility therapy, but I felt pregnant and experienced all my typical symptoms.” Astonishingly, Ashton wasn’t just pregnant; she was carrying her third set of twins—Rose and Violet. Ashton marveled, “I still don’t believe it.”