A Christian couple who feared they may not be able to have children following a shock cancer diagnosis have since defied the odds and welcomed five “miracle” babies into the world, all still under the age of six – including identical triplets who they describe as a “gift from God”.
Amy Lindsay, 32, a social worker, and her husband Alex, 34, a self-employed tattoo artist, have “five hungry boys” who require three food shops and approximately 100 nappies per week, as well as a pram fit for four, but they believe the lifestyle is all part of “God’s plan”.
The couple, who live in Sunderland, first met when they were teenagers where “it was love at first sight” and they both had religious upbringings, but it was not until Amy was diagnosed with cancer in her 20s that their journey with faith truly began.
Amy was told she may not be able to conceive naturally as a result of her cancer treatment, however, in 2016 she fell pregnant with her first child and later went on to have another four children, including identical triplets in 2021, which was a “massive shock”.
Most experts put the odds of identical triplets at one in 200 million.
Elijah, six, Zion, four, and Abel, Asher, and Azariah, all 20 months old – whose names were all inspired by the Bible, were born happy and healthy with no complications, and while it has been “exhausting, draining, and mentally challenging” at times, the couple said they feel supported by “God’s presence” and each other.
“With triplets, I was thinking, I haven’t got three arms, and I’ve always breastfed as well, and I was thinking, I haven’t got three boobs, how am I going to breastfeed?” Amy said.
“So much was racing through my head.
“I thought I was bringing one new baby into the household, but bringing in an additional two, on top of the baby that we’d planned for, I just thought, how am I going to give all these children all my attention? How are we going to fit everybody in the house?”
Amy said the couple’s day-to-day life is extremely busy, and looking after the children can be “demanding” and exhausting.
They go through approximately 100 nappies per week, they had to replace their seven-seater with a mini van and buy a pram which allows for four children, the triplets only go to nursery once a week because the fees are “astronomical”, and Alex does a food shop approximately three times a week as they have “five hungry boys”.
The couple’s journey over the past decade has been “mind-blowing”, but they believe that “if it wasn’t for God, this family wouldn’t be where it is today”.
“If we could go back… and we could say something to ourselves, I would just probably say, ‘Look, don’t worry about a thing, God’s got you right where he wants you,” Alex said.
“He’s got you safe in his hands, and get excited because he’s got something installed for you that is far beyond your wildest dreams’.”
Amy went to a Catholic school and Alex grew up in a Christian home, but he said he “struggled with his belief” in his youth.
He said he “always felt there was a wall between himself and God”, however this all changed when he met Amy in 2006, aged 17.
“No matter how hard I wanted to try and break down that wall, or whatever that was, I couldn’t get there,” Alex explained.
“It wasn’t until after I realised the grace of God in my life, put my trust in Jesus, and met Amy that I started taking my faith more seriously.”
Alex had plans to propose to Amy in 2012 on a family holiday in Cuba, but a “shock” cancer diagnosis turned their world upside down.
In September that year, aged 22, Amy was told by doctors she had Hodgkin lymphoma – a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.
At the time, Alex said he was “struck with fear” and thought it was “a death sentence”.
Amy was then told she would have to undergo chemotherapy and a sternotomy – a procedure to separate the breastbone – and the treatment may affect her fertility.
This was devastating news, as Amy had “always wanted a family”.
“You’re told that you’ve got cancer and you need to have chemotherapy, which is going to be so difficult, and you’ll lose your hair,” Amy said.
“But then the added bit that you might not be able to naturally conceive children, that was just awful; I was just devastated.”
Amy lost her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes as a result of the chemotherapy, and felt extremely fatigued.
While the couple did not know what the future held, Alex said he knew he wanted to marry Amy, and so he proposed in December 2012 during her treatment.
After Amy’s treatment concluded in 2013, the couple tied the knot in December 2015 before trying for a baby.
The couple said they prayed to God and trusted that “He will make it right” – and amazingly, within just a few months, Amy fell pregnant with her first child.
“It was just incredible,” Alex said.
“When Amy brought a little box with a little apple seed in it, saying, ‘This is the size of our baby’, it just broke my heart, and I was overjoyed.”
Their son Elijah was born in February 2017 and the couple said having him was “a miracle”.
“It was just so wonderful, looking down at this baby that you’ve longed for, and then he’s finally in your arms. It was just so special,” Amy said.
The couple planned to have two more children, and their second son, Zion, was born in February 2019.
However, when it came to Amy’s third pregnancy, something even more extraordinary happened.
During her 12-week scan, she was told she was going to have identical triplets.
“It was overwhelming, shocking, mind-blowing, life-shaking, but then again, I just felt the presence of God in my life,” Alex said.
“Our plan was to have three babies, but God’s plan was for us to have five.”
The triplets – Abel, Asher, and Azariah – were delivered by a planned caesarean section at 35 weeks in July 2021, and Amy said they were “just perfect”.
The family of four quickly became a family of seven, and Alex and Amy then had the challenge of parenting five boys under the age of five.
While the pair were initially concerned about their finances, living space, the size of their car, and other practicalities, they feel their children are a “gift from God”.
Amy said: “I just feel like we’ve been blessed beyond measure that we’ve got five healthy boys.
“To go from my body producing cancerous cells, to being able to fall pregnant with Elijah, then Zion, and then naturally conceiving identical triplets, it’s mind-blowing, really.”
Alex added: “There’s a Bible verse that comes to mind and it says that God can do more than we can possibly imagine – and it’s so true.
“Never in a million years would I have ever thought, from Amy’s diagnosis, that we would be in the position that we are today.”
Amy and Alex said “there is never a dull moment” in their household, describing every day as “an adventure”.
They love “the laughter, the cuddles, and the relationships forming” between the children.
The couple have been attending Bethany City Church in Sunderland for many years, and love being a part of the church community with their five boys.
When they reflect on the past decade, they feel that their “trust in God” and prayers have ultimately helped them through the most challenging times, and they wish to give the message that it is important to hold onto “hope” and take each day “a step at a time”.
“We always need to remind ourselves, just trust in God, and He will make it right; He will make it straight, and He will make it the way it should be,” Alex said.
Amy and Alex will appear on ‘Our Supersized Christian Family’, which airs on April 6 at 10.40pm on BBC ONE.
