Quins Show Individuality

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 3

Quins Show Individuality

(N.Z. Press 'Association) AUCKLAND, Aug. 5. The Lawson quintuplets, now 10 days old, are beginning to show signs of individual personalities and physical characteristics. Although the babies continue to wear their name tags, members of the nursing staff in the premature unit of National Women’s Hospital could now, almost with certainty, distinguish each one. While Samuel, Lisa, Deborah, Shirlene and Selina continue to make satisfactory progress, gifts of clothing they will wear when they eventually emerge from the the hospital and into the world, are spread out on a double bed in the home of their grandmother, Mrs Joyce Lawson. Many school children have been tapping on the door of

the house in Seabrook avenue, New Lynn, asking if they can see the clothes and other gifts which include nightgowns, dresses, 15 baby gowns, singlets, blankets, hair brushes, bootees, plastic pants, toilet requisites, bibs, babies’ scales, money boxes and teddy bears. The parents of the quintuplets, Mr and Mrs S. W. Lawson, have been given 35 dozen fabric napkins and hundreds of skeins of pink, white and blue wool. New Zealand firms have offered them a sewing machine, a knitting machine, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a drier, beds, mattresses and blankets. A movie organisation has offered the couple a two-day visit to Pakatoa Island and a city firm in Auckland is offering Mrs Lawson a conducted tour of its store where she may choose anything she wants. The tour will be followed by dinner, the theatre and supper.

Today the parents received a congratulatory telegram through the American Embassy in Wellington from Mr and Mrs Fischer, parents of quintuplets—four girls and one boy—born on September 14. 1963. The message ran: “Congratulations and best wishes on your wonderful event. We pray that God will bless you and your entire family with continued health and happiness.—Signed, Andrew and Mary Ann Fischer, Aberdeen, South Dakota.” A cablegram of congratulations arrived from the people of Cocklemouth, Fletcher Christian’s birthplace. Mrs Lawson’s paternal grandfather was the son of one of Fletcher Christian’s grand-daughters. Mr S. H. Downes, registrar of the Social Security Department in Auckland, said that the family benefit payable to Mr and Mrs Lawson for their six 'children would be in-

creased from the present £3 for four weeks to £lB when formal application was made. Any financial assistance given by the Government toward meeting the cost of nursing and domestic help necessary would no doubt be channelled through his department in Auckland. “When we are told what help is required we will submit the full facts to the Social Security Commission in Wellington and will doubtless get direction as to what assistance should be forthcoming,” Mr Downes said. “We don’t want to pester Mr and Mrs Lawson at present, but we are open to an approach from their solicitors at any time.” The father of the quintuplets is still suffering from gastric influenza. Their five-year-old sister, Leeann, who contracted measles this week and was sent to stay with friends at Red Beach, will return home on Sunday.