While the chance of having quintuplets, triplets or twins is rare, the likelihood of having multiple multiples in one family is like hitting the baby jackpot.
That’s what happened to Las Vegas parents Karen and Deon Derrico, who had back-to-back multiples, which they say is like “getting struck by lightning while getting struck by lightning.”
Keep reading to learn more about the Derricos!
Karen, 43, and Deon Derrico always wanted a large family, but they certainly hadn’t expected to have two single children, a set of quintuplets, triplets and two set of twins, all conceived without the use of fertility drugs.
“We have 14 children, four sets of multiples,” Deon, 52, says in the trailer for the reality show Doubling Down with the Derricos, which follows the hectic lives of the Las Vegas-based family. “How often do you see that?”
The couple share 14 children in total: Darian, 17, Derrick, 12, 11-year-old twins Dallas and Denver, 9-year-old quintuplets Deonee, Daician, Daiten, Deniko and Dariz, 5-year-old “triplins” Diez and Dior, and 3-year-old triplets Dawsyn, De’Aren and Dyver.
Diez and Dior, whom the family often calls “triplins” were actually part of a trio but their brother Carter was born 28 weeks into the pregnancy and doctors weren’t able to save the premature baby. “We pay homage to him and his life by referring to the now twins as the triplins. We made up our own word, triplins.” Deon explains.
Every morning, Deon and Karen – both work from home – pack their patience in dealing with everything from potty training for the toddlers, to dating for their older kids.
And getting their brood ready for the day is an activity that mom Karen compares to a sport.
“It’s like a ballet,” says the mom. “It’s chaotic. We have to constantly be on them: ‘Have a seat, eat your breakfast, let’s get everything together.’ It’s definitely a job when they get down.”
Revealing that it costs about $3,500 a month just feeding the kids, Deon – a real estate investor – breaks down some of the numbers. “In a week we go through 15 boxes of waffles, 20 rolls of toilet paper.”
‘I’m not done’
While the average person would find that one child is a lot to handle, the Derricos are still growing their large family and Karen says she’s not done with having babies.
“I’m not done. The baby factory is still open, and at 43 years old, I’m sticking to what I told Deon originally: I’ll have as many children as God blesses me with,” she writes in an essay published in Business Insider. “People love to criticize big families, and mine is no different. As a Black family with 14 children, we’re especially vulnerable to accusations that I’m a bad mom. But I know I’m not.”
Speaking of her relationship with Deon, whom she’s been with since 2001, Karen continues, “When we first met, we realized we both grew up in single-parent homes. We didn’t want that for our children. We’re on the same page raising this family, which makes all the difference.”
Meanwhile, Deon explains that having four sets of multiples back-to-back is “like getting struck by lightning while getting struck by lightning…Many parents know with just one child, two children, it’s a job.”
Karen adds, “We have our good days and our bad days. But there’s always enough love.”
What do you think of the large Derrico family?
Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!
READ MORE
- Mom delivers 4 babies after waiting for 7 years, video of quadruplets melts hearts
- Meet Elnaz, Tanaz, and Golnaz – the three stunning identical triplets who are taking the internet by storm
