With the increased availability of fertility treatment, multiple births are rarely out of the news. Since Briton Mandy Alwood lost eight babies in 1996, America has seen two women give birth to octuplets - one set surviving, and the other having only having one baby die. Bradford mum-of-three Pamela Wilcock was overjoyed when she conceived quads without fertility treatment. But the joy turned to heartbreak when she lost the babies at 22 weeks. Yet they have never ceased to be a major part of her family. She told Helen Mead how the tragedy, just over a year ago, has affected them, and why she is eager to get pregnant again

FOUR LITTLE faces look down from the wall in Pamela Wilcock's front room.

Snug in tiny blue and white gowns, Jason, Jordon, Jamie and Macauley lie peacefully, wrapped in blankets.

The beautifully framed picture of the tiny boys is one of many hanging in the family's cosy terraced home in James Street, Tong - a permanent reminder of the much-wanted children that Pamela and her partner, Jason, lost.

Says Pamela, 32: "They are always here, and always will be - a big part of our life. We talk about them, and to them - they have even been to Blackpool with us. We take their pictures to lots of nice places. It has been a hard year, and last Christmas was terrible, but whereas last year we were holding their funeral, this year we celebrated their birthday. They were all so precious and we love them so much."

It had been a normal, healthy pregnancy, after a natural conception - a 500,000-1 chance. The only blip came in the early weeks, when a scan to check that all was well revealed the multiple pregnancy.

Recalls Pamela: "I'd started to bleed a bit and went for a scan. The nurse asked if we had a history of twins and then asked if there were triplets in the family - I was thinking, great, because I wanted twins. Then she asked me if I was having fertility treatment, and I said no. She must have asked me that about five times. Then she said I was expecting quads and may have miscarried one baby - so there might have been five."

Pamela's mum Carmel was with her and did not believe what she was hearing. Says Pamela: "I'd had four dumplings to eat the night before and she said, no, it can't be - those shapes will be the dumplings. She'd never seen a scan before and to go for the first time and see four little babies like that was a huge shock."

But the family was delighted. Pamela's children, Stacie, 14, Mark, 13, and eight-year-old Cally-Jo, could barely contain their excitement.

"We were over the moon," says Pamela, "Particularly as I'd been told a few years before that it was unlikely that I would have any more children."

A couple of years after Cally-Jo was born a smear test had revealed cancerous cells and Pamela had undergone an operation in which part of the neck of her womb was removed.

"It didn't bother me at the time, and I wasn't trying to get pregnant, but when I found out I was carrying four babies I was so happy I cried."

She kept active and went for a walk every day. She made plans. "We were gearing up for their arrival. We planned to buy one of those eight-seater mini cruisers to drive them around."

But on her 31st birthday her waters broke unexpectedly. She was rushed to Bradford Royal Infirmary where she went into labour. Three days later, her beloved babies were stillborn.

The grief was enormous. Says Pamela: "It was awful - I didn't want any Christmas decorations up. My mum rallied round and put them up but I was so distressed I pulled them down again."

She has nothing but praise for staff at the hospital, and for family and friends who tried their best to console the couple and their children.

Says Pamela: "Mark took it the worst. He was devastated. All he ever wanted was a baby brother - and he'd got four. I've never in all my life seen a child cry like he did the day he saw them, and held them."

The family were able to bring the babies home for a night before their funeral to say their goodbyes. The quads are buried at Bowling Cemetery. Their grave, beneath a headstone shaped like a teddy bear, is strewn with toys.

"We gave them a lovely, beautiful send-off," says Pamela, "We played the Eternal song Angel of Mine at the service. They were our little angels. We go to the grave every Sunday, and we went a lot at Christmas - we lit candles and put little angels on their grave."

Stacie, Mark and Cally-Jo each carry around a photograph of their brothers. Cally has written a poem about them for school:

Our four little angels,

That God gave us,

Then took you back to Heaven

Because he wanted you for more angels.

We all miss you and you will always be loved.

The youngster kisses their picture before she goes to school. "She knows what happened - we have always been very open and talked about death as well as life. She understands and misses the brothers she would have had."

The experience has had a big impact on the family. If anything they are closer. And they have all made an effort this year to get back to normal.

"We had a lovely Christmas to make up for last year, I bought a 6ft tree - we are looking forward now."

Pamela shows no more than a passing interest in news of multiple births around the world - almost all a result of fertility treatment. She finds it hard to stop thinking about her babies, but no longer dwells on her loss.

To this day Pamela does not know why her labour began early. She would love to conceive again - but knows the chances of a multiple pregnancy are remote.

"We have a few sets of twins in the family and one set of triplets. I'd love to have two or three more, but I'd be happy with one at a time. It is strange how losing the babies has affected me. I wasn't bothered before, but now I really want a large family - the larger the better. I'm trying to get pregnant, maybe I'm trying too hard."

She is one of five children, and her mum Carmel, amazingly, is one of 25. Also from Bradford, she says: "I would love Pamela to get pregnant again, and I'm sure she will. It would be good for her. She is a good mum, she will do anything for her kids."

Carmel has kept all the baby products she bought for the quads. "I've got changing mats, baby gyms, 32 feeding bottles - I'll save them forever."

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