By Stephen Stirling
Whitestone resident Digna Carpio successfully gave birth to sextuplets Oct. 5, marking just the second time in city history six children have been born to one family at once.
For Digna and her husband Victor, naming the children was the easy part. Though their six new children — four boys and two girls — will probably remain in the hospital until Christmas, the Carpios are now frantically trying to prepare for the inaugural homecoming of Justin, Jezreel, Joel, Jaden, Danelia and Genesis.
“My mom, she tells me to stay in bed, but I say, ‘Mami, my mind is busy.’ I want to set up their room. I can’t wait to buy their cribs,” Digna Carpio said.
No one is more surprised than the Carpio’s 8−year−old son, Jhancarlos.
“I’m very happy,” he said at a news conference Tuesday. “I only wanted one brother. I have no idea why God gave us six.”
Though they were initially concerned one of the babies would not survive after Digna Carpio underwent a Caesarian section 11 weeks prematurely, doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan are now optimistic that all six children will survive.
Digna Carpio said the pregnancy was extremely difficult and at times her doctors were worried that she would have a miscarriage.
“I would go in for a sonogram because I was bleeding a lot and they’d say ‘Oh, you may have miscarried,” she recalled. “But then they would do the sonogram and say ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … no, everyone’s there.’ ”
Although she is excited about bringing her new children home, she is also nervous about the challenge that lies before them.
“My mind is so busy. I wake up some mornings and wonder how are we going to do this?” she said.
Knowing that they have their hands full, City Councilman Tony Avella (D−Bayside) has been working with the family to help set up baby registries to gather needed supplies.
“They’re going to need six of everything,” Avella said. “People are going to rise to the occasion.”
Avella said his office is accepting donations of clothing, food, baby bottles, baby wipes, undershirts, blankets, towels, sheets, strollers, cribs, car seats and high chairs. Since the Carpios live in a small home in Whitestone, Avella said he is also hoping to work with contractors to get an addition put on their house.
Victor Carpio said the family has already taken nearly 20 boxes of clothing home from Avella’s office.
Avella said he has received e−mails from as far away as California, where a teacher and her class of elementary school students inquired about how they could help.
Victor Carpio said the family’s situation is particularly dire because he was recently reassigned from his job as a painter with the New York City Housing Authority, which led to a stiff pay cut for him.
“We’ll have to talk to the Housing Authority commissioner about that,” Avella said.
“I’m so excited when I get the gifts,” Carpio said. “We are so happy that people want to help. We are asking for a lot of help because it’s six times the situation. We’re going to need it.”
For more information on how to donate and what is most needed, call 718−747−2137.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e−mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, ext. 138.
