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“I Was In Complete Shock”: Woman Visits Hospital For Sore Throat, Only To Discover She’s Pregnant
“I Was In Complete Shock”: Woman Visits Hospital For Sore Throat, Only To Discover She’s Pregnant
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“I Was In Complete Shock”: Woman Visits Hospital For Sore Throat, Only To Discover She’s Pregnant

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A nursing assistant from Illinois got more than she bargained for when she went to a hospital for a sore throat only to be informed that she was expecting not one but four babies.

20-year-old Katelyn Yates recently explained how she went for a quick checkup with her doctor, who told her that an X-ray would be necessary. Still, first, she needed to undergo a pregnancy test, as radiation can be dangerous for babies.

Highlights
  • Katelyn Yates discovered her pregnancy with quadruplets during a checkup for a sore throat.
  • The quadruplets, born prematurely at 28 weeks, are healthy and gaining weight rapidly.
  • Katelyn faced severe complications including preeclampsia during her pregnancy.
  • A GoFundMe campaign helped Kaitlyn's family travel for support, though it fell short of the goal.

The results were undeniable, with the first signs being high amounts of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in her urine—a hormone produced by pregnant women—all but confirming that she was pregnant.

Katelyn initially believed that the hospital staff were playing a joke on her when she received the news on April Fool’s  Day. “I was in complete shock,” she said upon learning she was expecting quadruplets.

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    A woman from Illinois was in shock after going to the hospital for a supposed “sore throat” only to discover she was pregnant with quadruplets

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    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    “I went into the ER to get my tonsils looked at. It’s crazy how we found out—I didn’t even go in for pregnancy,” she explained in an interview with local media.

    Her fiancé, 21-year-old Julian Bueker, helped her remain calm as she delivered the four babies—Elizabeth Taylor, Zya Grace, Max Ashton, and Elliot Ryker (the last two identical twins)—who arrived prematurely on October 27. The couple shared pictures that demonstrate this fact.

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    Although the babies were healthy, they were small, with Elizabeth weighing just 1.2 lbs. and Max, the largest of the four, weighing 2.6 lbs. They were in gestation for 28 weeks and four days.

    Despite the premature birth, Katelyn stated that her babies are thriving. “They are doing phenomenal,” she said, explaining that they’ve been gaining weight and growing rapidly, which surprised her. “Just a few weeks ago, they were the size of my hand.”

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    While the babies were delivered successfully, Katelyn’s pregnancy was far from easy, as she started experiencing severe complications as early as 14 weeks in

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    “My liver and kidneys started not doing so well,” she said, initially believing her discomfort was due to an unrelated sickness.

    Her declining health, combined with the discovery of her pregnancy, led to doctors diagnosing her with preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy disorder. The condition involves high blood pressure, swelling, and placental damage, which can be fatal for both the mother and the babies.

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

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    Upon being informed of the diagnosis, Kaitlyn’s family mobilized to be able to travel to Springfield, Illinois, via a GoFundMe campaign set up by her sister.

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    The page reads, “I am raising funds to help my parents, Deborah and Rodney Yates, get to Springfield, Illinois, to visit my sister Katelyn, who is having quadruplets.”

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    “She is at high risk; she has preeclampsia, and her liver is failing. She had to be med-flighted to St. John’s Hospital in Illinois. we live in Ballantine, Montana, and we must get to her as quickly as possible. We don’t know what the outcome will be.”

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    Despite the campaign raising $355 since its creation on October 17, it failed to reach the $4,000 goal. However,Kaitlyn’s parents can rest easy knowing that her daughter and grandchildren are safe.

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    The quadruplets remain at St. John’s Hospital, receiving the care they need before being sent home due to being born at 28 weeks

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

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    Katelyn and Julian have decided to keep their Facebook profiles open, providing updates to those interested in their story and the health of their four babies.

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    The couple shared heartwarming photos of their latest visit to St. John’s hospital, where they are seen holding and taking care of her children, who are still being monitored as they grow and get strong enough to go home.

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

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    According to an article published by Mayo Clinic, several factors can lead to a baby being born prematurely. These include the mother’s previous experiences with pregnancies, like having aborted or delivered a baby prematurely before, as well as her health, like having issues with her uterus, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

    Image credits: Katelyn Elizabeth Yates

    While not all premature babies have health complications, their likelihood increases the earlier the baby is born. These include digestive problems, breathing problems, heart issues, risk of bleeding in the brain, and problems controlling temperature.

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    Netizens were relieved to know the babies were healthy and congratulated the mother on successfully delivering the babies despite her setbacks

    Image credits: Halei Yates

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    “Wow! Those babies were carrying high. Right up in the throat. What’s a new one,” one wrote, referencing Katelyn’s supposed throat issue.

    “What a surprise. Congratulations!” another said.

    “Congratulations to the parents. I hope the babies are doing well and thriving every day,” a reader said.

    On the other hand, some netizens were more severe and criticized the mother for not being aware of what was happening with her body and taking proper care.

    “I remember mothers like this young woman, not understanding her body or being aware of being pregnant, all the while gaining weight! I hope she and her boyfriend understand the lifelong challenges of quads!” a reader said.

    “Brings back memories. Same gestation, same complications, same weight as the smallest quad (actually 1 oz less); now I have a disabled 26-year-old. I pray all the babies make it without disabilities. I still have PTSD to this day,” another recalled.

    “What a journey!” Netizens expressed their happiness for both parents and sent them their best wishes as they take on the challenge of parenting quadruplets

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    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

    Read more »

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    Read less »
    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    Read less »

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    What do you think ?
    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well that escalated sharpish! "Doctor, I've got a sore throat. What's wrong with me?" "You're expecting quadruplets."

    Alex Boyd
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She learned she was pregnant on April 1, and the babies were born prematurely on October 27, so she can't have been very far along. I wonder if people are missing that, and think she was somehow unaware of a near-term quadruple pregnancy?

    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yep. It's what happens when people assume the story from the headline.

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    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well that escalated sharpish! "Doctor, I've got a sore throat. What's wrong with me?" "You're expecting quadruplets."

    Alex Boyd
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She learned she was pregnant on April 1, and the babies were born prematurely on October 27, so she can't have been very far along. I wonder if people are missing that, and think she was somehow unaware of a near-term quadruple pregnancy?

    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yep. It's what happens when people assume the story from the headline.

    Load More Replies...
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