Rare Kansas City triplets are an ‘unexpected journey.’ Grandma launches fundraiser

The three rare triplets born to a south Kansas City family last week are breathing on their own and eating more, their mother said Wednesday.

The three girls arrived prematurely at nearly 31 weeks on Jan. 10. They are patients in University Health’s new neonatal intensive care unit.

Their mother, Adrienne Blanford, told The Star it was “pretty shocking” when she found out she was pregnant with triplets. Their early arrival caught her off guard. She and her husband, Alim Muhammad, already have four children at home under the age of 9.

Blanford’s mother, Yolanda Williams, was surprised too at having three new grandbabies, all at once.

This week Williams set up a GoFundMe to help her daughter’s family on their “unexpected journey.”

“She’s the mother of 7 now ages 8, 7, 6, 9 (months) and now the triplets,” Williams writes on the GoFundMe page. “She’s needing another vehicle to transport the now family of 9.

“The girls are scheduled to come home in March and her present vehicle will only hold 3 car seats.”

The babies are noteworthy because most triplets are born through some kind of reproductive assistance. These babies were not, and they could possibly be identical, which is even more rare.

The babies are named E’Mani, Leilani and Khelani Muhammad.

As of Wednesday, their GoFundMe, with a goal of $2,500, had raised nearly $500. It is at gofund.me/7936ea55.