The Gaither quints grow up - quintuplets' tenth birthday

Ebony, Oct, 1993 by Lisa C. Jones

Indianapolis youngsters celebrate their 10th birthday

THERE'S never a dull moment at the Gaither house unless you count the few hours between dusk and dawn when Suzanne and Sidney Gaither quiet their young ones for an evening's rest.

Otherwise, the family's Indianapolis residence is abuzz with the laughter, pitter patter and mischief that only a bunch of 10-year-olds and a teenage brother can make. For the multilevel, five-bedroom Gaither house is home to six energetic children - five of whom make up America's only surviving set of Black quintuplets.

No one would have guessed that 10 years ago, when then 21-year-old Suzanne Gaither and her husband Sidney went to check ultrasound tests, the results would have tripled, quadrupled or even quintupled their expectations for a baby brother or sister for their then only child, Ryan.

But on August 3, 1983, Suzanne miraculously delivered a feisty five-some, which included two boys, Joshua and Brandon, and three girls, Ashlee, Rhealyn and Renee. And today, the couple's joy is heightened by the fact that their quintuplets beat the odds and are healthy, happy survivors.

Of the 27 surviving sets of quintuplets nationwide, the Gaither Quints are one of only three sets who were conceived without the aid of fertility drugs.

Still amazed by the overnight bloom of his family, Sidney Gaither, now 43, says: "You never think of conceiving more than two children at a time.... We planned on a large family ... but until you have your own, you really don't realize how much responsibility is placed on you. It's really a challenge."

Although Suzanne's mother and one of her sisters had twins, she didn't expect quints. "Twinning does run in the family," she says, "but certainly you don't think about super-twinning."

Nevertheless, the proud parents say the responsibility of raising their flock surpassed all expectations. "In the beginning it was so overwhelming," Suzanne says. "Everything had to be done times five, the bottles, the baths, the shoes, the car seats." But a decade later, she says, things are better. "This stage is better because they're independent, they're bigger, they're older and you don't have to hold their bottles anymore."

No longer the crawling, fumbling tots they once were, the wiry, giggly 10-year-old fivesome still keep their parents on their toes. After completing their portion of daily chores, which includes tidying up their rooms - the girls share a bedroom, the twin boys share a bedroom and big brother Ryan has a bedroom to himself - and sorting their clothes for laundry, they still find time for mischief. And although they no longer spend time climbing out of bedroom windows, painting each other's faces with baby food or drawing crayon murals on their bedroom walls, they still manage to poke holes in the family swimming pool, litter the lawn with emptied soda cans and take unauthorized bike hikes.

They also enjoy splashing in the family pool, riding their bikes or skate-boards along a neighborhood path (with permission) and watching their favorite television show, Full House, which incidentary stars a set of identical twins.

But Sidney, the designated family disciplinarian, and wife Suzanne manage to keep things under control with lots of love, attention and organization. "I've learned about patience in church," says Sidney, a lay minister at Zion Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Indianapolis. "But with kids, you have to learn it again." And with a precocious group of little ones, the Gaithers get a lot of practice.

Disciplining six little people isn't half as difficult as feeding them. A traditional Gaither Fourth of July outing required more than 10 pounds of ground beef, 35 chicken drumsticks, four chicken breasts and several pork steaks.

At the Gaither house, grocery shopping has become an art, and coupons have become a way of life. Sidney has mastered both. He regularly checks the papers, television and radio for sales on bread, laundry detergent, cold cereal and other items the family regularly consumes. The rewards of his efforts are bulk purchases at considerable savings.

Since it's hard to have so many goodies around without having little fingers find them, Sidney keeps all soft drinks in the garage and all extra boxes of cold cereal in a pantry with a padlock.

Dinners are usually prepared in advance and in bulk. Suzanne prepares most of the week's meat items in her spare time on weekends. Perennial favorites are large vats of spaghetti and chili in the winter and deli sandwiches and chips in the summer.

Food, time, money. All fade quickly when there are eight mouths to feed. Both Gaithers are gainfully employed. Sidney is a 17-year veteran service technician for an elevator company and Suzanne is a secondary market coordinator for a student loan company. Yet, they still try to avoid unnecessary expenses wherever possible. While Sidney has become a master grocery shopper, laundryman and gardener, Suzanne handles most outside dental and medical appointments and school schedules. She is even known to give a world-class haircut when necessary.