Rachel Vargas made headlines after welcoming a rare set of identical quadruplets on January 24 at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The remarkable birth occurred naturally at 30 weeks and three days of gestation. Remarkably, she had not undergone any fertility treatments. While this event has been deeply challenging for Vargas, it is a journey of milestones. Vargas now has six children.
Rachel Vargas had many struggles throughout her pregnancy. She flew all the way from Rhode Island to Phoenix to get highly specialized care for her complicated condition. Dr. John Elliott, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, quickly realized Rachel’s pregnancy was like none he had ever witnessed. More importantly, it was swarming with myriad risk factors that piqued his interest. “Rachel’s pregnancy was one I had never seen before. Marco and Rachel — they never wavered,” said Dr. Elliott.
That journey started with a normal 20-week ultrasound for her soon-to-be third child, when Rachel was faced with the overwhelming news. She learned not only was she expecting another child, but four identical daughters: Sofia, Philomena, Veronica, and Isabel. “Currently, there are four,” Rachel said, as she continued to process this potentially devastating news.
Yet as her pregnancy continued, the couple came to understand the importance of specialized care. Rachel told us they were looking for an expert who was an expert in high order multiples. They were looking for more than just a maternal fetal medicine expert. It was this decision that brought them to Banner Health, where they found collaborative, holistic support at every step of the journey.
Even with all of the complications during the pregnancy, Marco Vargas said he felt relieved and happy when their daughters were born. “But, boy, it was glorious to see these girls being triumphantly rescued,” he said. He saw the depth of the crisis. He continued, “This was outrageous and could have cost her life or health.”
During Rachel’s first days in the NICU after giving birth to the quadruplets, she experienced a deep sense of relief. “I just completely shut down, I think. I thought I was in shock,” she confessed, addressing the profound emotional toll of that day.
