Henderson hospital has twin-baby boom

HENDERSON, N.C. — Maria Parham Medical Center was busy this week with three sets of twins born on the same shift Tuesday.

The six children raised the total of babies in the maternity ward to 17 – an increase from the usual handful of infants there.

The baby boom started Tuesday morning with the Gatrells. Kimberly Gatrell had a scheduled caesarean section to deliver her twins, Kallie and Kevin. Soon, she and husband, Alan Gatrell, realized something was going on in the maternity wing.

“They kept coming in the room saying, ‘Someone else came in. Someone else came in,’” Kimberly Gatrell said.

Eight hours later, Jennie Davis gave birth to twins, Andrell and Aydrell.

“I was like, oh my goodness, what is going on today?” Davis said.

After 8:00 p.m., 12 hours after the first set of twins were born, Wayne and Melissa Seaman welcomed twin boys, Carson and Tyler.

“It’s neat to be part of that, because that just doesn’t happen everyday, especially not in such a small town,” Melissa Seaman said.

Nurse Margie Hentze said everyone “battened down the hatches” and chipped in to help with the deliveries.