US woman visits doctor for sore throat, discovers she’s expecting quadruplets

When 20-year-old Katelyn Yates from Illinois went to her doctor for a sore throat, she never expected the visit would result in life-changing news. To her shock, Yates walked out not just with a diagnosis but with the revelation that she was pregnant with quadruplets. Speaking to USA Today, she shared how she initially thought the doctor’s announcement was a prank—only to realise it was, in fact, four foetuses.
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The odds of conceiving quadruplets are staggeringly low, estimated at about 1 in 500,000. Yates had visited her doctor expecting a simple check-up to address her throat inflammation, which required an X-ray. As a precautionary measure, her doctor ordered a pregnancy test to avoid exposing any potential foetus to radiation. To everyone’s surprise, the test came back positive, and Yates’ hCG levels, a hormone produced during pregnancy, were reportedly “off the charts.”
At the time of her unexpected diagnosis, Yates had been dating her boyfriend, Julian Bueker, for just six months. Upon learning the news, however, Bueker responded with excitement and reassurance, which helped Yates cope with the whirlwind experience.
“I couldn’t believe it was real,” Yates admitted. “But seeing Julian’s reaction made me feel calm.”
Yates’ pregnancy was not without complications. During her third trimester, she developed preeclampsia, a severe blood pressure condition that can be dangerous for both mother and baby. Her condition progressed, leading to liver and kidney complications that required close monitoring. Just four days into her 29th week, on October 17, Yates gave birth via C-section at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Yates’ babies—Elizabeth Taylor, Elliot Ryker, Max Ashton, and Zya Grace—arrived early but healthy. Among the four, Max and Elliot are identical twins. “It’s amazing to me how well they are doing. Just a few weeks ago, they were the size of my hand,” Yates said, marvelling at their progress as they continue to gain weight steadily.
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With the added expenses of raising quadruplets, Yates and Bueker have started a fundraiser on Venmo, hoping for community support to help with the costs of their growing family.