Quadruplet Dad Gets Incredible Gift From Steve Harvey After Wife’s Death
Carlos Morales is raising his quadruplets with his mother-in-law’s help after his wife died shortly after childbirth. (Photo: Erica Morales Memorial Page/Facebook)
The father of quadruplets whose wife died just after childbirth received an unexpected surprise on Thursday — $10,000 for each child, to go toward a college savings account, from comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey.
Carlos Morales’s wife, Erica, gave birth to four babies — Carlos Jr., Tracey, Paisley, and Erica — via C-section on Jan. 16. “I still think back to that moment every day and it was wonderful,” Morales told People. “Erica did so well, the babies were healthy. It was perfect.” But shortly after the quads were born, Erica, 36, went into hypovolemic shock, a condition that involves severe blood loss. She died a few hours later.
Related: Dad Cares for Quadruplets After Wife’s Tragic Death in Childbirth
“I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak,” Morales said. “I didn’t know how I would survive without her. But almost five months later, I understand why I am still here. My babies are four beautiful blessings.”
Morales didn’t respond to Yahoo Parenting’s request for comment.
Carlos Morales received $10,000 per child to put toward college tuition from talk show host Steve Harvey. (Photo: The Steve Harvey Show)
Morales is raising the four little ones with the help of his mother-in-law, who moved in with the family in March. He’s received an outpouring of support from strangers too. A family friend set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the now-single dad, which has collected an amazing $470,000 toward a goal of $500,000. Nearly 13,000 donations have come in since the page was first created. And this week, the Morales quads got another gift, from talk show host Steve Harvey: $10,000 per child from Sallie Mae to start a college savings account.
Related: How Quadruplet Family Is Healing After Mom’s Death
It’s a gift that will help realize one of Erica’s dreams for her children: that they go to college. “When Steve Harvey told me that, I couldn’t believe it,” Morales told People. “Everything I do is for my children and their future. Education is so important. I worry about money and this just made me feel so relieved.”
Morales says he still grapples with his loss daily, but his four beautiful babies keep him focused on the future. “They are becoming little humans. I wish Erica could see them grow up,” he said. “They make a lot of cute noises. I just want them to say ‘DaDa’ already.”
The Morales quadruplets at a doctor’s appointment in June. (Photo: Erica Morales Memorial Page/Facebook
For now, the babies keep Morales busy with constant feedings and wake-ups. “The biggest challenge is the sleep time. I got to sleep only for a few hours and every two or three hours just wake up again. It doesn’t matter what time it is, it can be 6 p.m. or 2 in the morning, I just take an hour to sleep and that’s it,” he told Steve Harvey. But he’s trying to get all four on the same schedule. “[When one baby wakes up] even if the other ones look nice and asleep, I say, ‘Next! Who’s next?’”
When he’s feeling especially down, Morales says, he is inspired by his beautiful children. “This wasn’t the plan. Erica was supposed to be here. I still come home after work and look at pictures of us together. I go to her Facebook and I look through our text messages,” he told People. “But I know I’ll be okay. I have to be. I have four beautiful children to raise.”
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