How Quadruplet Family Is Healing After Mom's Death
Carlos Morales’s quadruplets are all home and healthy. Their mother, Erica Morales, died shortly after giving birth. Photo courtesy GoFundMe.
A father of quadruplets, whose wife died just after giving birth, is home with all four babies and is adjusting to new life as a single dad — with a lot of help from his mother-in-law.
Carlos Morales’s wife, Erica, gave birth to four babies — Carlos Jr., Tracey, Paisley and Erica — via C-section on January 16. Shortly afterwards, Erica, 36, went into hypovolemic shock, a condition that involves severe blood loss. She died a few hours after her children were born.
STORY: Dad Cares for Quadruplets After Wife’s Tragic Death
Two months later, Morales, 29, is back home with all four children, who are thriving, he told People. “Even when they scream their heads off I want to give them the biggest kiss,” Carlos said, describing his four kids as “beautiful blessings.” While Carlos Jr. and Tracy have been home for nearly a month, Erica and Paisley weren’t released from the hospital until last week.
The Phoenix, Ariz., dad never planned for life without his beloved wife. “Erica was supposed to be here. We were supposed to do this together,” he said. “She was so prepared for this. She even wrote down in her iPad every single thing she had to make sure she had to do to have a healthy pregnancy.”
Erica Morales, shown here with husband Carlos Morales, got pregnant with quadruplets after struggling with infertility and doing IVF. Photo courtesy Erica Morales/Facebook.
But Morales is quickly learning the ropes of single fatherhood. He took parenting classes at the hospital where the quads were born, and can already distinguish the kids simply by hearing their cries, he told People. “I already know their quirky little habits or the next time they’re going to cry,” he says. “They’re starting to form their own personalities.”
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Of course, Morales is quick to credit the support of friends, family and even complete strangers. His mother-in-law, Sondra Bridges, has moved from Memphis to Phoenix to help him care for his new family. “She is a savior,” Morales said. “I really don’t know what I would do without her. The babies need her, too.” (Bridges did not respond to Yahoo Parenting’s interview request.)
Bridges told People that, even before the quadruplets were born, she promised Erica she would help raise the children. “Erica told me, ‘Mom, I’m going to need your help. I’m having four babies,’” Bridges said. “So I moved from Memphis, Tennessee, and into their home.”
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Today, Bridges is changing diapers, soothing crying babies, and making sure the kids always hear stories about their mother. “She was my best friend. She gave me guidance, always offered a unique perspective on everything and had a smile on her face no matter what,” she said. “I knew [when Erica died] that these babies might not have their mom anymore, but they would never be alone.”
After Erica’s death, her best friend Nicole Todman started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Morales and the quadruplets. To date, more than $393,000 in donations have poured in from nearly 11,000 people. Todman’s ultimate goal is to raise $500,000.
"I am so blown away by how kind people are to donate," Morales said. "It’s unbelievable."
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