Beating the odds with two sets of twins

09:57 PM CST on Monday, March 15, 2004

By Shern-Min Chow / 11 News

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A Harris County Sheriff's deputy and his wife have been in hot pursuit of a family for years, and they finally have one. They're the proud parents of quadruplets, and they're not your usual foursome -- they're two sets of twins.

The neonatal ICU at the Woman's Hospital is no stranger to unusual births, but no one seems to remember a case like Jacob's and Jacoby's and Jason's and Justin's.

It's not just that they're quadruplets, "Both embryos split and that's how we ended up with two sets of identical twins," explains Sheryl McGowen.

KHOU-TV The neonatal ICU at the Woman's Hospital is no stranger to unusual births, but Jacob, Jacoby, Jason and Justin, two sets of twins, were born Monday.

The odds of that happening are one in 11 million. For mom and dad their bangle of ID bracelets are badges of honor. "We'd been married so long," says Sheryl. "We'd been married 12 years, and we would not go through life without having our own kids."

Three years ago they began a barrage of fertility treatments, ending with In Vitro Fertilization.

Checkups first revealed two heartbeats, then a third and then, more stunning news from the doctor. "He says, 'Well, we have an infiltrator,'" Sheryl says with a laugh.

Everyone had about the same reaction has Grandma Moore. "I just dropped my mouth open," says Shirley Moore.

"God blessed us with these four blessings and we're gonna go with it," adds Jeffery McGowen.

Those blessings came Monday morning in good health via C-section. They arrived within three minutes of each other at a very respectable 2.5 to 3.4 pounds apiece.

"I wanted to cry, but I'm a man," says Jeffery.

Generally premature babies go home around their due date, so for team McGowen that's another 10 weeks.

Relatives, friends and co-workers aren't the only ones lining up to help, "Strangers want to help," says Sheryl.

It's may be an all men's club, but "she's the queen of the house," says Jeffery. "And they're gonna know that, too."

Donations of baby items will be accepted all day March 26 at the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 139 at 3130 North Freeway for the McGowen quadruplets.

Deputy McGowen works in the community service division of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.