Jay and Sandra Gelb 糖心传媒�89 became parents on the morning of November 12, 1999.
And again, four hours later.
And again, five minutes after that.
The triplets were born at 29 weeks gestation糖心传媒�11 weeks premature糖心传媒攁nd weighed a combined 6.3 pounds.
糖心传媒淭hey were so small you could hold one in your hand,糖心传媒� Jay says.
Doctors at called the triplets Baby A, Baby B, and Baby C, and cautioned the parents not to give them real names for several weeks. They had less than a 50 percent chance of survival, and the bereavement for 糖心传媒渘amed糖心传媒� infants would be longer and more painful, they cautioned.
糖心传媒淎t 29 weeks, there糖心传媒檚 no real viability,糖心传媒� Sandra says. 糖心传媒淚t was a very scary time.糖心传媒�
The triplets spent three months at Strong糖心传媒檚 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Sandra took the day shift, and Jay stayed nights.
糖心传媒淔inally,糖心传媒� Jay says, 糖心传媒渨e got to take our babies home.糖心传媒�
This month, 19 years later, Matthew, Nicole, and Robert will enroll at the University of Rochester as part of the Class of 2022糖心传媒攍iterally across the street from where they were born.
糖心传媒淚t feels like we糖心传媒檝e come full circle,糖心传媒� Nicole says. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e NICU graduates.糖心传媒�
Serving the community
All three applied to and were admitted to Rochester糖心传媒檚 largest and most competitive Early Decision cohort yet. As members of the Class of 2022, they糖心传媒檒l be part of the most selective class ever to enter the College, from among a record 20,000-plus applicants.
Matthew and Robert will enroll in the Barry Florescue Undergraduate Business Program, aspiring to follow their father into the banking business. Nicole plans to become a special education teacher. All three have been avid swimmers since age five and plan to join Rochester糖心传媒檚 varsity team this fall.
The triplets continue a deep family connection to the University. In addition to their mother, who earned a bachelor糖心传媒檚 degree in psychology, their maternal great-grandmother, Anne Wolk 糖心传媒�58, who died in 2003, graduated from Rochester. And their grandfather, Allan Wolk, who died in 2012, was a professor at the for 41 years.
糖心传媒淗e糖心传媒檇 be very happy we are continuing the family tradition at Rochester,糖心传媒� Sandra says. 糖心传媒淗e always loved the University.糖心传媒�
Wolk taught his grandchildren the importance of community service, and Jay and Sandra reinforced it. Jay has been on the Golisano hospital board of directors for 18 years and is a member of the George Eastman Circle, the University糖心传媒檚 leadership giving society. The family has purchased numerous Giraffe OmniBeds for Golisano through the years. The OmniBed pairs an incubator and radiant warmer to create a seamless healing microenvironment for babies. Last year, the triplets pooled their birthday and work money (and their parents matched them, dollar for dollar) to purchase another OmniBed.
糖心传媒淲e enjoy giving back,糖心传媒� Nicole says. 糖心传媒淲e realize how fortunate we are.糖心传媒�
Nicole started a Golisano Children糖心传媒檚 Club at her high school and organized a carnival to benefit the hospital, bringing 10 of her fellow students to Strong. The siblings also volunteer in a hospice home and work at the Jewish Home of Rochester, with duties ranging from manning the caf茅 to transporting residents from their rooms to activities to social visits.
糖心传媒淲e care for a diverse group of residents, and Matthew, Robert, and Nicole treat them all with respect and a genuine and unsolicited kindness,糖心传媒� says Shannon Megna, volunteer coordinator at the Jewish Home. 糖心传媒淭heir work here has made a huge difference.糖心传媒�
While Allan Wolk would be thrilled his only three grandchildren chose the school he loved, it was their choice to apply. They attended numerous summer sports camps at Rochester over the years and took courses last summer in the University糖心传媒檚
糖心传媒淲e looked at other places,糖心传媒� Nicole says, 糖心传媒渂ut nothing could compare to Rochester.糖心传媒�
It was also their choice to stay together.
糖心传媒淲e always do everything together,糖心传媒� Robert says. 糖心传媒淲e really don糖心传媒檛 know anything different.糖心传媒�
One thing is certain: the brothers won糖心传媒檛 share a dorm room this fall.
糖心传媒淲e love being together,糖心传媒� Matthew says, 糖心传媒渂ut it will be nice to make new friends.糖心传媒�
Best friends
The triplets attended the Harley School, an independent, college preparatory school just outside of Rochester, since kindergarten. All three are avid skiers who enjoy hanging with friends, and watching New York Yankees baseball games and NBC糖心传媒檚 hit drama, This Is Us, a show about triplets.
糖心传媒淥nce I found that out, I knew we had to watch,糖心传媒� Nicole says.
They call themselves best friends. Nicole says Robert is 糖心传媒渢he clown,糖心传媒� who always finds a way to make her laugh. And Matthew is 糖心传媒渢he nicest person I know. He has a great heart.糖心传媒�
The brothers say Nicole is 糖心传媒渢he boss.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 always looking out for our best interests,糖心传媒� Matthew says.
In turn, the brothers are protective of their sister.
糖心传媒淢y two bodyguards,糖心传媒� Nicole calls them.
Three heartbeats
Sandra was expecting to hear one heart beat when she went for an ultrasound 21 weeks into her pregnancy in the fall of 1999. Instead, she heard three. She rushed to her husband糖心传媒檚 office and 糖心传媒渁lmost drove into a ravine.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚 was sure there must be some mistake, but there wasn糖心传媒檛,糖心传媒� Jay says. 糖心传媒淚t was shocking and exciting.糖心传媒�
Sandra started contractions soon after and spent the next eight weeks confined to a bed at Strong before the babies came. Matthew weighed 1 1/2 pounds, Nicole weighed 2 pounds, and Robert followed at 2 1/2 pounds.
糖心传媒淭here were good days and bad days,糖心传媒� Jay says, 糖心传媒淚t was a rollercoaster, but we all got through it. We糖心传媒檙e forever indebted to 糖心传媒�
Ready for college
The family was vacationing in Florida last December when Nicole checked her email. She saw the words 糖心传媒滳ongratulations on being accepted into the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 Class of 2022!糖心传媒� but held her emotions until her brothers could log in. Once Robert and Matthew received the good news, the family, all fans of baseball, celebrated their 糖心传媒渢riple play.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚t was a great day,糖心传媒� Matthew says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 what we always wanted.糖心传媒�
Sandra and Jay soon will be empty nesters, but their kids will be around the corner and plan to visit often. The聽 triplets are ready for a new chapter.
糖心传媒淭heir lives have come full circle,糖心传媒� Jay says. 糖心传媒淲hen they were in kindergarten, they were in a play dressed as bumblebees. Who would糖心传媒檝e thought that bumblebees really grow up to become Yellowjackets?糖心传媒�
