St. Charles Mother of Identical Triplets Wins TODAY Show Contest, Gets a Day Off

One St. Charles mother got a much-deserved day off in recent weeks after she was chosen as the winner of a Mother’s Day promotion sponsored by the TODAY show.

Brandi Murphy is a stay-at-home mom of 16-month-old identical triplets, Timmy, Johnny and Jimmy, and her 3-year-old boy, Bobby. In an average week, she will change 147 diapers and will go through about 63 to 70 bottles and 8 or 9 gallons of milk. She also does between two to three loads of laundry a day, Murphy said. The four-seater stroller she pushes when she goes for a walk or jog with the four kids weighs 70 pounds---and that is without the four kids in it.

"I didn’t even know what to say. I was speechless,” said Brandi, who is a 2005 graduate of St. Charles East High School and has lived in St. Charles since she was 2 years old. “It was a very surreal experience.”

Brandi’s husband, James, a firefighter/paramedic with the Bensenville Fire Department and the owner of Murphy Home Improvement and Electric, was also home that day to help out. By the end of the day, Thomas needed the assistance of not only John, but also the help from two more TODAY show employees in order to keep up with the four young children.

“It took four people to do my job,” Brandi said with a laugh.

While in Chicago, Brandi met up with her cousin, Laura, and the two got a facial and massage at the Waldorf Astoria. They also had a lunch and their hair and makeup done.

“I don’t know the last time I took a day for myself. I don’t really get to sit down and talk and have a meal,” she told her cousin, Laura, in a clip that appeared on the TODAY show. Brandi watched the segment of her special day off, which aired the Friday before Mother’s Day on the TODAY show, at home with her family and friends. She then spent Mother’s Day at her home, had her family over for dinner and sat in the backyard while the children played.

Identical Triplets

Brandi and James found out they were expecting triplets when Brandi was eight weeks pregnant. The couple conceived the triplets naturally - and did not use IVF or any fertility drugs--a feat that is extremely rare. Medical professionals estimate that only one in a million identical triplets are conceived naturally.

It has been a lot to balance with three little ones, but the Murphy family has gotten help from James parents, who live in Geneva, and from Brandi’s mom, who lives in St. Charles. Brandi’s aunt, Mary Arnold, stops by once a week to help make the baby’s food and assist with laundry and housework.

One person in particular, Lorraine Green, a retired NICU nurse at Central DuPage Hospital, has been a godsend for the family, Brandi said.

Green sent Brandi a card shortly after the triplets were born, introducing herself and letting her know she would be willing to lend a hand on a volunteer basis, whenever Brandi needed help.

“She was a complete stranger. At first I thought, this is so crazy,” Brandi said.

Green acknowledged the offer may sound strange and said she could provide references. She also mentioned she was a part of the St. Charles Garden Club.

“My aunt also happens to be in the St. Charles Garden Club so I called her and asked her about Lorraine,” Brandi said. Her aunt gave Lorraine a glowing review and Brandi reached out to Lorraine for a meeting.

“She was in our house not even five minutes when she asked, ‘What can I do? Can I change a diaper? Does someone need a bath?’” Brandi said. “She has just fit in perfectly with our family and has been a huge help.”

When the babies were young, she would come once a week to feed and help with the children overnight so Brandi could get a full night of sleep. Now, she comes over to watch the kids so Brandi can run to the grocery store. Or, she will take Tommy out to the park.

‘“I tell people she is my guardian angel,’” Brandi said.

A Night Out

The TODAY show gifted Brandi and her husband, James, a gift certificate to the Cherry Circle Room at the Chicago Athletic Association in Chicago, so they can have a dinner out together. Brandi said she and her husband do not have a lot of chances to get out on their own.

“We are looking forward to hopefully going soon,” Brandi said.

Photo credit: Queen B Photography

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