Nation's first Black Quints, now 17, attend high school prom

Jet, May 7, 2001

The Gaither quintuplets of Indianapolis won national attention in 1983 when they became the nation's first Black quintuplets. Now, 17 years later, they're back in the spotlight. The quintuplets recently attended their high school junior prom.

Quintuplet brothers Joshua Frank Johnson and Brandon Burrus and their sisters, Ashlee Charlene, Renee Brook and Rhealyn Frances captured everyone's attention when they stepped into the Egyptian Ballroom at The Merot in Indianapolis.

"A lot of people didn't find out until that day that we are all in the same grade because a lot of people didn't know that we are quintuplets," says Rhealyn. "We don't have any classes together and the school has 3,000 students. If people don't know that we're quintuplets, I won't tell them."

The siblings, along with their dates, rode together to the event in a limousine. Rhealyn and her boyfriend attended the gala in a separate vehicle.

Brandon says all the attention at the prom made him feel "young again," when they were constant fixtures in the spotlight.

Renee, who big sister Ashlee describes as "kind of quiet and a tomboy," had her own spotlight to contend with.

"I got a lot of attention because people aren't used to seeing me in a dress," Renee, a basketball player, laughs, "so I had to take lots of pictures."

The big event was a day to remember for their parents as well.

"It's a prelude to things to come," says happy mother Suzanne Gaither, a client services manager for a student loan company. "It's just the first of many memorable moments as young adults that they hopefully will continue to experience."

Suzanne and husband Sidney have been married for more than two decades. In 1983, then already the parents of a 2-year-old son, Ryan, the couple made history by becoming the parents of the nation's first Black quintuplets.

The children were born four weeks premature, but it was Ashlee, the firstborn of the quints, who was in critical condition. A little fighter, though, Ashlee pulled through and was called the "survivor" of the bunch.

Joshua Frank Johnson was named after the obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Frank Johnson, who delivered the quintuplets as well as their older brother, Ryan, now 20.

"They are good kids. I can't believe that 17 years have gone by," says Dr. Johnson of his history-making patients, with whom he has remained very close.

The children were conceived without the aid of fertility drugs. For this, Ashlee believes that her parents should have been acknowledged more.

"I don't think my parents got as much credit as they really should have like the White septuplets' parents did," says Ashlee. "They were born with fertility drugs and we weren't. My parents didn't get as much credit as they deserve."

Sidney, who works in sales, is aware that the family didn't receive as much recognition as other multiple birth parents, but he doesn't let it get him down.

"You can always wonder why somebody gets something, but to me that's a waste of time. You can't control what goes on outside of your house. My belief is if God gives you something, He will provide," explains Sidney.

The last time the quintuplets were in the public eye was in 1993, when they did a commercial for McDonalds. Today, Ashlee and Renee hold down part-time jobs at the popular eatery. Brandon and Joshua, who are "100 percent twins," says their father, works part-time at the same department store. Rhealyn does babysitting.

Suzanne and Sidney Gaither say words can't explain how delighted they were to see their kids off to the prom.

But the proud parents know that this is just the beginning of a long journey. Next year the kids will not only attend their senior prom, but also graduate from high school. Then, there's college.

"I don't sit around looking at the mailbox or waiting for the phone to ring," says Sidney. "There's no way we could prepare to send five kids to college at today's costs, but we will cross that bridge when it comes. Things will work out."