Babies so tiny, moments so big

One moves from serious to fair condition; all remain hospitalized.

By LISA BUIE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 11, 2007

Ben Byler holds one of his sextuplets in this photo released by Inside Edition. The Bylers have been able to hold Eli Benjamin and Brady Christopher and might get to hold Charlie Craig today.
	[Photo courtesy of Inside Edition]

ADVERTISEMENT [Photo courtesy of Inside Edition] The Bylers, who live in Wesley Chapel, have visited the hospital regularly since the babies were delivered by caesarean section Sept. 1. The Bylers spent Friday with a production crew from Inside Edition, who released several photos of Florida's first sextuplets.

On Sunday night, Karoline Byler was holding Eli Benjamin, the strongest of the sextuplets and the first to take pumped breast milk.

Byler's 4-year-old daughter, Zoe, was sitting next to her and holding Eli's feet in the neonatal intensive care unit at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. What happened next moved Byler to tears.

"She walked next to his head and said 'I love you,'" Byler said Monday. "It was completely on her own. It was probably the best family moment we've ever had."

Byler, 29, and her husband, Ben, 30, had another reason to smile Monday. Charlie Craig, referred to before birth as "Baby E," was upgraded from serious to fair condition. Hospital officials initially reported that Ryan Patrick had moved from critical to fair but there was a mixup, Ben said. However, Ryan, who remains critical, is improving. Brady, Eli and Charlie were all listed in fair condition. Jackson Robert and MacKenzie Margaret both remained in serious condition.

"Jackson and MacKenzie need the most prayer," Karoline said. "They're just struggling a little bit more." Doctors had removed Jackson's chest tube but then had to reinsert it.

The Bylers have been able to hold Eli and Brady and might get to hold Charlie today, Karoline said.

The Bylers, who live in Wesley Chapel, have visited the hospital regularly since the babies, Florida's first sextuplets, were delivered by caesarean section Sept. 1. The sextuplets, Brady Christopher, Eli, Ryan, Jackson Robert, Charlie Craig and MacKenzie Margaret also have been receiving their mother's milk.

Until today, no photographs of the babies had been released because of an exclusive contract the Bylers signed for an undisclosed sum with the syndicated television show Inside Edition. Representatives of the show issued a news release Monday with photos and excerpts from their interview with the family.

The Bylers spent Friday with a production crew.

"It was really kind of fun, but nerve-racking," said Karoline, who did her own makeup for the show. "It's a challenge. You're talking to a million people. Even though it's not live, it's film, and you know a lot of people are going to see it."

She said the crew asked her about the decision not to remove some of the fetuses so the others would have better survival odds. They also asked about the delivery, how she was healing and how the babies are doing.

"It was pretty intense," said Karoline, who plans to record the show because she might not be home. "I think it turned out pretty good."

The family's next task is to get their washing machine repaired before the babies come home, which likely will be in November.

"Our clothes are starting to pile up," Karoline said.

Lisa Buie can be reached at buie@sptimes.com or 813 909-4604.

FAST FACTS:

Infants in TV spotlight

Inside Edition will air the Byler sextuplet story at 7 tonight on WTSP-Ch. 10.

[Last modified September 10, 2007, 21:44:13]