Durst Quadruplets

4 in a Million

When one baby is born, it’s fairly routine. The odds of having twins are 1 in 80; the odds of triplets 1 in about 700. Naomi and Jim Durst of Buffalo Minnesota beat odds of 1 in a million when Naomi gave birth to identical quadruplets in 1993. What’s even more unusual is that she didn’t take fertility drugs.

I first met the Durst family at the hospital press conference the day after their birth and then visited them again a year later. The Durst girls, Sarah Elizabeth, Megan Marie, Calli Kristine and Kendra Nicole were fuzzy-haired, green-eyed, freckle-faced mischief-makers, who warmed up to my camera almost immediately. This started a 17 year friendship and photo documentary that spans 17 years. The Durst girls are now in High School and attended their first prom the last time I visited.

Calli, Kendra, Megan and Sarah Durst make up one of only 60 known sets of identical quadruplets worldwide – of which 37 sets are girls. They’ve wowed audiences on both coasts, having been guests on “The Tonight Show” in Los Angeles and “Today” in New York. Maury Povich has had them on his show five times. During an appearance on “Tonight,” the quads left George Clooney and Rob Lowe breathless – not the other way around.

I’m not sure how long I will photograph the girls? I guess as long as they will let me hang around with my camera.