Rachel Paula Abrahamson is an entertainment journalist-turned-lifestyle reporter living in Boston. She covers parenting, pop culture, and news for TODAY.com — and fancies herself an expert on all things twin-related! In 2024, Rachel received an NBC Gem Award (Going the Extra Mile) for her contributions to NBC.
As an elementary school teacher, Betsy Santiso has stumbled over tricky names and watched once-unique ones become overly popular. So when the Ohio mom learned she and her husband, Dan, were expecting quintuplets — four boys and one girl — they knew they faced a significant decision.
“We wanted something unique, but not too weird,” Betsy, 35, tells TODAY.com. “Or hard to pronounce,” Dan, 34, adds. In the end, the Santisos didn't have to look far for inspiration. They drew from their 2-year-old son, Rowan, a name taken from the rowan tree, long regarded as a symbol of protection and strength. On August 4, they welcomed a little forest of blessings: Juniper, the only girl, Cedar, Linden, Torrey, and Alder, born at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. “With every tree we would research its history and what it looked like just to make sure it felt right,' Betsy says. 'We've been thinking about trees nonstop for months!' For the Santisos, the names are not only a tribute to their love of nature but also an expression of their deep faith. While speaking with TODAY, Dan quotes a passage from the Bible: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream.” After a heartbreaking struggle with infertility, the Santisos consider their five babies nothing short of a miracle, the ultimate gift they had long hoped for. “Our prayer for them is that they grow to be rooted in the Lord and to see how much he’s done for us,” Betsy reveals. “We’ve really had to be reliant on the Lord and his faithfulness,' Dan, an automotive engineer, says. 'We hope whatever they do in life prospers like a tree planted in water.' The quintuplets, born at 29 weeks’ gestation, are in the neonatal intensive care unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, gaining weight and learning to eat. At birth, the smallest baby weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces, and the largest 2 pounds, 14 ounces. 'We just found out that they're at the lowest level of support for 29 weekers,' Dan says, marveling at their progress. Big brother Rowan has taken to his new role with enthusiasm, according to his parents. 'He's been telling everyone that his mom had 20 babies!' Dan says with a laugh.
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