Woman Diagnosed with Brian Tumor Told She's Unable to Have More Kids — Then She Welcomes Triplets (Exclusive)
The spontaneous triplet pregnancy was a surprise in more ways than one
sahm_triplets/TikTok
Shanel (left), Shanel and her tripletsShanel was a busy toddler mom when a brain tumor diagnosis led her to believe she'd never be able to add to her family
The young mom was in for the surprise for her life when she learned that not only was she pregnant, but pregnant with spontaneous triplets
Shanel tells PEOPLE what it was like navigating the surprise pregnancy and how she's raising four little ones today
A young mom was delivered heartbreaking news that changed how she saw her future. What she didn't know was that life had plenty more twists in store.
Shanel was a full-time student and mom to a 3-year-old when she sought medical attention for some unusual symptoms. In 2021, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor called a prolactinoma. Prolactinoma is a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland that results in overproduction of the hormone prolactin, per The Mayo Clinic.
"One of the side effects of that is infertility," Shanel tells PEOPLE, explaining that in the years that followed, she continued on with that diagnosis in mind, grateful still to be a mom to her toddler son.
In November 2023, Shanel became concerned when she started exhibiting problems with her health: she was experiencing very strong headaches and incessant nausea.
"Pregnancy was not even on my mind since I hadn’t had my period in those years," she explains. "Out of curiosity I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Shanel was in shock and immediately followed up with her doctor. The doctor noted that her HCG levels were high, but Shanel was unsure if that could be related to her illness.
One week later, Shanel went in for an ultrasound. "I immediately knew something was going on when I saw the ultrasound tech say, 'Oh my God!' I turned around to the screen and saw she had marked three babies."
"I immediately began crying. I was in pure disbelief. I had gone alone to my appointment that day and when I got out, I didn't know who to tell first. I called my sister, then my mom, and both were crying with happiness."
Shanel explains that while twins run in her family, no one had ever had triplets before. She was grateful to have "so much support" from family amid what would be a difficult pregnancy.
"I began bleeding at 13 weeks and was told I might lose all the babies," she shares. "I was told by my doctor to have full bed rest as the pregnancy progressed. They explained that because I had partial placenta abruption, my body wasn’t going to hold the babies for much longer."
It was "sad" for Shanel to remain on bedrest, limited in what she could do with her toddler son.
"I was in constant pain," she recalls. "Every doctors appointment I had, I was already having mild contractions. I felt so trapped. I was scared to go out and risk losing the babies."
At 26 weeks, Shanel went for a checkup. Her care team monitored her contractions and found they were just two minutes apart at that point.
"I was given medication to mature the baby’s lungs in case they came out early," she says. "The plan was to wait until I was 32 weeks."
The situation was scary for the young mom, and those concerns grew when two days later, the doctor informed her she was continuing to dilate.
"Unfortunately I was already too dilated, so I was immediately sent for an emergency C-section," she says, recalling it was a scramble to make sure the triplets' father would be there in time.
On May 10, 2024, Shanel welcomed her three baby boys — Aydan, Axel and Aryan — each weighing about 2 lbs.
"The NICU stay was a very difficult time for me," she recalls. "They spent almost three months in the NICU. I would go every day to visit them and was able to see them grow from 2 lbs. each to 5 lbs. each the day they where released."
While the NICU experience is tough on any parent, the young mom was grateful for those she met along the way.
"I made so many friends in the NICU with mommies going through the same thing I was. I felt understood there, and I loved watching their babies grow," she shares.
It was with that feeling in mind that Shanel started to share her story on TikTok, where she's since gone viral as she shows how she navigates day-to-day life as a young mom of four.
"I decided to share my journey on TikTok to show other mommies that it is possible, that God is amazing and will show you the way," she says. "I’m just a 22 year old mom to triplets and a toddler and I have been able to manage."
Interacting with her community has brought Shanel "so much joy," she adds.
"I love the support they give me and how proud they are! I love that I get recognized from TikTok in my hometown, everywhere I go, or that people stop me to see the triplets and give them a smile," she says.
"I want to continue to share my journey with people, with the goal of helping young moms that are struggling like I was," she continues. "I feel social media is very powerful and it can open many doors."
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
