Franklin woman gives birth to quadruplets
Published 9:05 am Wednesday, May 26, 2010
NORFOLK—By 10:59 a.m. Monday, Keisha Keys’ family had doubled in size.
The 28-year-old single mom from Franklin gave birth to quadruplets at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where the babies were doing well on Tuesday. The two boys and girls are joined by siblings Kira, 11; Damian, 9; Nyny, 4; and Lanari, 2.
“Mom’s doing great,” said Kim Bentley, a maternity nurse. “She came through with flying colors.”
The babies were delivered two months premature by C-section. The first was born at 10:57 a.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Two were born at 10:58, weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces and 2 pounds, 8 ounces. The final followed a minute later and weighed 2 pounds, 12 ounces.
The quadruplets are expected to remain hospitalized for about a month, while Keys may be released by Thursday. She’s been hospitalized since May 4 for precautionary reasons; her mother has been taking care of her four other children.
Keys and her family face a tough road. The quadruplets’ 22-year-old father, Randelle Flood, died on March 18 from a suicide.
Keys gave the babies their father’s last name and named the boys after him. Randelle Aldan Flood Jr. and Randy Oneith Flood are joined by sisters Rihanna Niaja Flood and Ray’vonna Unique Flood.
Keys doesn’t work and gets no support for her other four children; her only source of income is $353 a month in state public assistance and food stamps.
She’s facing an eviction from her apartment because of an occupancy limit and is considering moving in with her mother, who lives in Drewryville. Her mother and sister are her only support.
Keys has no way to transport her family in her mid-size Honda Accord, but with all that she faces, Keys says she’ll get through.
“God doesn’t put more on you than you can bear,” she said.
Keys, who dated Flood for more than a year, said her pregnancy was planned.
“We went for one and got four,” she said.
Keys learned she was having quadruplets in her second trimester of pregnancy.
“I went and had blood work and they said I was having more than three (babies),” she said.
Keys was sent to a doctor in Norfolk, where it was determined she was having quadruplets.
“I said ‘I guess I gotta do it,’” she said.