Four sisters deliver four babies within four days

They call the maternity ward at Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park "The Family Birthplace" — and now for especially good reason. Three sisters delivered their babies at the hospital within hours of each other on Friday and Saturday, under the care of the same physician.

"It was a surprise for everyone," said Saby Pazos of Bellwood, who gave birth on Friday to a 7-pound, 8-ounce son, Abel Brian, a couple of hours before her sister, Leslie Pazos of Stone Park, delivered a 7-pound, 1-ounce girl, Ashley Mishell. The next day, third sister Lilian Sepulveda of Franklin Park joined her family at the hospital for the scheduled caesarean section birth of 8-pound, 3-ounce daughter Emily Marie.



"It's very unusual, but wonderful at the same time," said Dr. Jean Alexandre Jr., who saw each of the sisters from prenatal care to delivery. The triple family birth is a first for the 58-year-old community hospital, where 1,200 babies are delivered each year, said spokeswoman Molly Gaus.

At a news conference on Tuesday, the beaming sisters, who each have previous children, said they weren't trying to get pregnant at the same time but are delighted that the cousins will grow up together. The sisters' maternal connection is not limited to Melrose Park, either. A fourth sister, who lives in California, also had a baby on Monday — a boy, Jonathan, delivered by doctors there. "I couldn't make it to California," Alexandre joked.

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