Diener Quads Turn 30

The Power of Four

1992 was a Leap Year. Renee and Carl Diener were having quadruplets. They chose Hurley Medical Center for the birth, since Hurley had the best NICU around—back then as well as now. Having worked there part-time as a social worker, Renee had seen firsthand what they could do. In the silvery light of a February morning, four tiny babies were born about a minute apart, making their appearance 12 weeks early on a date that would occur only once every four years. These Leap Year babies, the second set of quadruplets ever to be born in Genesee County, would join the ranks of our 1993 Miracle Children.

Ranging between 1 – 2 ½ pounds, the babies were kept in the NICU for months. The last to come home was Robert, who had developed cerebral palsy resulting from a brain bleed. He would leave the NICU after 3 months, but would need to be seen by many specialists and receive follow-up care at Hurley’s Developmental Clinic.

“It was chaotic to say the least,” Renee said of bringing the kids home. Luckily, she had help. In addition to the family members who came to her aid were two volunteers of Hurley’s Foster Grandparent program. “Willie May and Julia. Two wonderful ladies that came and rocked the babies while I did things around the house. They were a godsend.”

Fast-forward 3 decades, the quads are doing well and celebrating their 30th birthdays! We wish them another 30 years of making miracles happen.