On July 28, 2022, Ashley Ness gave birth to four babies (quadruplets) in what was an extremely rare childbirth; she gave birth to two sets of identical twins. The two boys and two girls were delivered by Cesarean section after 28 weeks – each one born just one minute apart from the next.
Her babies lived out the next six weeks in the hospital under the care of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. One of the daughters, Chatham, was released on October 4th, while the two boys – Chance and Cheston – were sent home on October 17th and 18th, respectively.
While those three were healthy enough to return home, Ness’ second daughter, Chesley – the twin sister of Chatham – remained in the hospital. Last month, Ness spoke with PEOPLE about the deteriorating health of Chesley, saying, “just everything is happening to her,” but she has been taking it ‘like a champ.’
Last week, roughly seven months after the child’s birth, Ashley Ness revealed that Chesley May had passed away due to numerous complications suffered after birth. She released a statement to PEOPLE, explaining how her death has left a ‘huge emptiness’ in the hearts of everyone involved in her care.
“Day in and day out, she fought and fought and continued to beat the odds. Her strength was unwavering. Each time she overcame an obstacle, we were so excited, thinking that finally, all the quads would be home together soon. We were positive that she would live a long and healthy life,” Ashley said in her statement.
It was a rare pregnancy, to begin with. One doctor even described it as a ‘1-in-10 million’ type of birth. Even the ultrasound technician who originally discovered the four babies were unsure of what they were seeing on the screen. From the start, they were aware of the high risk involved with the pregnancy.
In fact, Ashley stayed in the hospital for three weeks leading up to the birth so doctors can keep a close eye on her progress. “We will forever miss her laughing face, her funny little air leak sounds, and the sparkle in her big beautiful eyes. We are so proud of her and know that she is at peace,” Ness continued.
A GoFundMe was Created for Ashley Ness and Her Family
In addition to her quadruplets, Ashley Ness is also the mother to an 8-year-old daughter, Chanel. Not only that, but her boyfriend, Val, is a father to three children – two of which are under the age of 10 and live in the family’s three-bedroom home in Taunton, Massachusetts. It makes for an extremely crowded home.
Just let that sink in for a second – a family of eight (Ashley, Val, four boys, and two girls) is living in a three-bedroom home. And, while their ninth child never made it home from the hospital, they’re still struggling to find the space needed to live comfortably – even after they upgraded to a larger vehicle.
That’s why in June 2022, roughly a month before the quadruplets were born, a GoFundMe account was created to provide ‘Financial Support for Unexpected Miracles.’ Those unexpected miracles have also resulted in an unexpected tragedy, but the GoFundMe has already produced quite a relief for the family.
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Over the past eight months, the page has raised just over $25,000 of its $45,000 goal. More than 538 people have donated – including a couple of $1,000 donations and several $500 donations. They hope to one day build an addition to their family home to provide the space for these children to grow.
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