FANTASTIC FOUR

THE first quads born in Bahrain for 15 years made a surprise appearance at the International Hospital ... they were supposed to be triplets.

Parents Zall and Cynthia Koohpaima were overjoyed to find they were expecting after many years of trying for a sister or brother for daughter, Arianna, 14.

With special care and help from a leading doctor, the family's dream came true.

Read their heart-warming

A DELIGHTED couple and their teenage daughter are celebrating the arrival home of the new additions to their family ... quads.

After years of trying for more children and suffering the heartache of miscarriage Zall and Cynthia Koohpaima now have their hands full and they could not be happier.

Cynthia said: "I had a miscarriage 10 years ago and after that I just couldn't get pregnant. I tried IVF years ago but it didn't work but we weren't ready to give up.

"I went back to the International Hospital of Bahrain intending to try IVF again but my doctor had left and I saw a new man, Dr Mohammed Rocca, he said that in his opinion I didn't need IVF and asked if I would be prepared to try his way which involves monitoring the cycle and assisted ovulation and then just letting nature take its course.

"We were ready to give anything a go and I actually became pregnant three times but each time I miscarried; now I've got all four babies at once."

But those four babies, Aidan, Anya, Connor and Rory came as quite a surprise to the stunned parents.

Zall said: "All along we had been told we were expecting triplets. Initially, they said a girl and two boys then they said three boys so we took back all the girlie things we had bought!"

The fabulous foursome were born on February 2 and Zall added: "I was there in the delivery room with Cynthia with my video camera ready to record it all. First came a boy, then a girl then another boy, then I saw another pair of tiny feet and the doctor said 'there's another one'.

"At first I thought he was joking but then the last baby was there and we were just stunned.

"Even the hospital staff were taken by surprise, they had three incubators prepared and were rushing round looking for another one. In the end they put two of the babies in together.

"Outside all our family was there and they were all crying and laughing, nobody could believe it."

Cynthia said: "Arianna had been praying for a little sister and, she later told me, had also been praying for a multiple birth. I told her that her prayers must be really strong ones as they were all answered."

Though there are twins in both Cynthia and Zall's families, neither has ever known anyone to have so many babies and from checks it seems the last time quads were born in Bahrain was around 15 years ago so the Koohpaima babies are likely to become mini-celebrities.

Bahraini Zall, 44, and American Cynthia, 36, met while they were both studying in Los Angeles. They have been married 19 years and living in Bahrain 11 years.

The family recently moved to a larger villa, in Janaibiya, to make space for what they thought would be three new arrivals, now they find they are crowded with the extra tot so it looks as though another move may be on the cards.

Zall said: "It's amazing, and to be honest we are all still a bit stunned, three of the babies are in one room and one of the cribs is in with us but you just don't think an extra one could make that much difference. We may have to think about somewhere bigger and we've found that you can't fit four car seats in one car so that's something else to think about.

"But to be honest, at the moment we're just enjoying them and counting ourselves very lucky and blessed."

And, Cynthia added: "We have to say a huge thank you to Dr Rocca, we couldn't have done it without him. He took such great care of me, they're his babies too. When the fourth one arrived and took us by surprise he said 'I'll take him' but I said 'No way, they're mine but you can be their special uncle!'."