String of twins multiplies the joy

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One set of twins was delivered by their obstetrician aunt.

BY AMANDA GARRETT

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — A baby boom is doubling the joy for parents and staff at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

For the first time in five years, the hospital welcomed three sets of twins in one week, nurse Marsha LaPolla said.

Trumbull Memorial usually has about eight sets of twins a year, making the four boys and two girls crowding the hospital's nursery even more unusual, LaPolla said.

The proud parents and their brand new bundles of joy are:

Jerry and Ginny Jones of Warren, who are the parents of Priscilla and Justin.

Paul Nathaniel and Lareesa Burbridge of Mineral Ridge, parents of twins boys, Chandler and Walker.

Lewis Cairns and Dr. Natalie Mondary, parents of Frank and Sarah.

The Jones twins were born Tuesday, with the others coming along the next day.

Mother and doctor

Dr. Mondary is more familiar with the maternity ward at Trumbull Memorial than most mothers. She is an obstetrician who practices at the hospital along with her partner and sister-in-law Dr. Jean Cairns.

In fact, it was Dr. Cairns who had the unique privilege of bringing her niece and nephew into the world.

"Their family will have a wonderful story to tell the children when they're older," LaPolla said.

Dr. Cairns and Dr. Mondary met when they were both doing their residency at Akron City Hospital. It was through Dr. Cairns that Dr. Mondary met her future husband.

These are the first children for all three couples, who said they are happy and excited about the new additions to their families.

"It's exciting," Ginny Jones said. "It's also a lot harder than I expected."

Which is which?

One of the unexpected challenges of parenting twins is telling them apart, Lareesa Burbridge said.

"It is difficult to tell the difference," she said of her identical twin boys. "Walker usually scrunches up his face more, so that's how I tell them apart."

Proud grandmothers Ada Mondary of Cincinnati and Loraine Burbridge of Mineral Ridge said they were thrilled with their new grandchildren.

"I think they're perfect — like any grandmother would," Ada Mondary said of Frank and Sarah.

The Burbridges are the only family that has a history of twins.

"They're on both sides of the family," said Loraine Burbridge, who pastors the Apostolic Assembly in Mineral Ridge with her husband, Phillip. "My husband has a brother and sister who are twins."

The twins are keeping the staff at the maternity ward busy, LaPolla said.

"We have 21 babies right now," she said. "The nursery is getting crowded."

Although the staff are busy, they enjoy their work.

"This is the happiest floor in the hospital," LaPolla said. "Sometimes we have our sad times, but most of the time this is a happy place to be."

agarrett@vindy.com

Saturday, August 5, 2006