Rare Mixed Triplets Born on Dad's Birthday Nearly Set Record

A South LA couple welcomed naturally conceived mixed triplets weighing 19.3 pounds combined, just shy of the world record, on the father's birthday.

Nyla Craft and Marco Bernal welcomed triplets Elio, Elias and Enzo on Aug. 18, 2026 — Bernal's birthday, a coincidence he called unforgettable. The family grew from four to seven overnight, joining older siblings Naya and Maceo and making five children under age 5. Craft said she learned of the triplets at an appointment earlier this year, first assuming twins before the doctor corrected her, and recalled crying with relief when she heard all three boys crying at once after delivery.

Kaiser Permanente South Bay's Quynh Vo-Hanser described the pregnancy as a 'mixed triplet' set — a spontaneous, naturally conceived pregnancy containing an identical twin pair plus a fraternal sibling, all boys the same sex. According to ABC7, she said that of roughly 3.5 million US deliveries, only about 2,400 are triplets, and these special triplets are rarer still; in three decades she said she had never seen all these conditions together. Craft noted a family history of multiples, including a twin mother and triplets on her side.

CBS News reports the three boys weighed a combined 19.3 pounds, each over 6 pounds and born full-term with no complications — just a few ounces short of the Guinness World Record for heaviest living triplets at birth, which Yahoo reports stands at 22 pounds, 12.6 ounces, set in Colorado in 2003. The hospital called the boys' weight a remarkably healthy start for triplets.

Chief nurse executive Gina Renteria told ABC7 that the delivery required about 15 people in the room — three NICU nurses, one per baby, two baby doctors, doctors for Craft and an extra nurse for her — versus a typical five. Dr. Rohit Passi, chief of neonatology, said Craft's care reflected a holistic, equity-minded approach given higher maternal mortality rates among Black mothers, and noted she had once doubted she could become pregnant at all.

The hospital says the family is home and thriving, and Dr. Passi visited the family of seven, calling it the best part of the job. Craft said older sister Naya is eager to help with the babies, though brother Maceo is less interested. The family credited medical staff with extensive support through pregnancy and delivery. No further milestones are pending; the boys' near-record weight and rare mixed composition stand as the story's lasting claims.