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Preemie Boys Thought To Be Long Island's First Triplets of 2010

(January 15, 2010 - Rockville Centre, NY) As a postal worker, Juan Figueroa has seen his share of Special Deliveries. But his wife, Catherine, has topped them all -- with the delivery of triplets in the successful conclusion of a high-risk pregnancy at Mercy Medical Center.

The Valley Stream couple, who have no other children, are now the proud parents of three boys --Steven, Joseph and Anthony-- delivered five weeks early by Caesarean section on January 5th by obstetrician Dr. Laurence Mack of North Massapequa. The infants, who weighed between 3.5 and 5 pounds at birth, were cared for in Mercy's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the only such facility on the South Shore of Nassau County that is designated by New York State to care for all premature and/or sick newborns.

"The specially-trained nurses and staff in Mercy's NICU have extensive experience with such fragile babies," noted Dr. Swarna Devarajan, Director of Neonatology and Newborn Services. "Each year, we care for some 300 preemies among the nearly 1,500 babies born at Mercy."

Ms. Figueroa, a 32 year old 2nd Grade special education teacher at P.S. 123 in South Ozone Park, Queens, became pregnant with the aid of fertility medications.

"As a teacher I love children, and we were eager to have a family," she said. "I just didn't expect to have one this large all at once!"

Photos:
1) Proud parents Catherine and Juan Figueroa of Valley Stream hold their newborn triplets (l to r) Steven, Joseph and Anthony. The boys were delivered at Mercy Medical Center on January 5th by obstetrician Dr. Laurence Mack of North Massapequa and cared for by a special Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team headed by Dr. Swarna Devarajan.

2) Triplets (l-r) Steven, Joseph and Anthony Figueroa weighed between 3.5 and 5 pounds at birth, January 5th at Mercy Medical Center.