Mississippi
This Mississippi mom thought she was having twins. It was quintuplets
A couple in Laurel, Mississippi, got the shock of a lifetime when they found out they are expecting quintuplets.
Quintuplets occur in roughly one in 60 million births, according to Dr. Rachael Morris, an associate professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Ashley and Tyler Meyers already have two toddlers; soon they will have seven under age 3.
In January, Ashley Meyers was picking up cough syrup when she realized her period was a day late. The mom of daughters Paisleigh, 3, and Westlynn, 2, decided to throw a pregnancy test into her cart just to be safe, because some medications are harmful when taken during pregnancy.
“Not only was the test positive, the line was darker than I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ashley tells TODAY.com.
Ashley, 26, a phlebotomist, and her husband Tyler, 28, a mechanic, had just moved into a new home and were not trying for another child.
Her first look at the babies was a non-diagnostic ultrasound, also known as a “keepsake ultrasound,” at a non-medical facility.
Preliminary blood work had indicted they might have twins, so neither were shocked when two sacs appeared on the screen.
“My first thought was ‘OK. We can handle this,’” Ashley says, noting that Paisleigh and Westlynn are just 16 months apart.
Two weeks later, Ashley’s OB-GYN introduced a major plot twist. The Meyers weren’t having twins — they were having quintuplets, two boys and three girls. Suddenly, “We can handle this” turned to sheer panic.
“I was in complete shock,” Meyers says. “I don’t think my husband and I talked to people for two weeks. We just went silent. Five is a lot of babies.”
“I was like, ‘How are we going to do this?’” Tyler, 28, tells TODAY.com. “But you just need to leave it up to God. He is not going to put you in a situation that you can’t handle.”
Quintuplets occur in roughly one in 60 million births, according to Dr. Rachael Morris, an associate professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Ashley is now 25 weeks along in her pregnancy and on bed rest at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson until she gives birth. Haylee and Shawn Ladner welcomed quintuplets at the same hospital in 2023. Tyler says the Ladners have been giving them “good pointers on what to expect.”
“My doctors are hoping we’ll make it to 34 weeks, because the longer they’re in, the better,” Meyers shares. “I’ve been coloring and watching some TV and catching up on all the stuff I haven’t been able to do because I worked full-time before this.”
Tyler, who is home holding down the fort, says he has a “whole new respect” for his wife.
“Taking care of little kids after a long day at work is harder than I thought it would be!” he says.
The Meyers family, who have a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses and baby essentials, have been inundated with support.
“I love our community,” Ashley says. “Complete strangers have blessed us with kindness. People have to come to help clean and wash dishes and get the rooms ready. When big stuff happens, we rally around each other. When everyone’s got your back it doesn’t feel so scary.”
Ashley also has the support of moms in the higher-order multiples community. Here is some of the advice they shared with TODAY:
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“To Ashley and any mom expecting multiples, my number one advice is to make the best of the experience — especially the NICU journey, which is inevitable and often challenging when you have higher-order multiples. Schedule photoshoots, read them books, allow visitors, hold them as much as possible and make it a point to be as present and involved with their care as possible” Raquel Tolver (mom of 1-year-old quadruplets.)
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“Believe in yourself. There will be days it feels too hard or you doubt if you can do this, but you were made for this” Ashley Crandell (mom of 2-year-old quadruplets.)
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“Soak every second in —the highs and the lows — because while it is so unique and very crazy, it is your journey and it goes by so fast” Hanna Castle (mom of 2-year-old quadruplets)
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“Best advice I can give is, “Don’t lose yourself, so that you can be the best for your babies. The second thing is find a system and organization that works for you and your babies and don’t be ashamed to take all the help you can get.” Heather Langley (mom of 3-year-old quintuplets.)
This article was originally published on TODAY.com

Mississippi
Two found dead in North Mississippi, one in custody
Mississippi
Trump, FEMA approve disaster declaration from deadly March storms in MS

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Staff
- Federal disaster assistance has been approved for Mississippi following severe storms and tornadoes in March 2025.
- Funding will be available to individuals and businesses in several counties for housing repairs, temporary housing, and other recovery needs.
- Residents are encouraged to file insurance claims and then register for assistance online, by phone, or through the FEMA app.
- Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was recently appointed to a FEMA review panel, while President Trump has considered eliminating the agency.
Disaster assistance is available to Mississippi after FEMA announced May 23 that it had approved a disaster declaration made by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves in the wake of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding from March 14-15, 2025.
At least seven died in tornadoes that hit Covington, Jeff Davis and Walthall counties. In that same stretch, an earthquake was also recorded near Magee.
The White House announced in a release: “The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith and Walthall counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”
E. Craig Levy, Sr. has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in those areas.
“Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall and Washington counties.”
President Donald Trump has discussed the possibility of eliminating FEMA and pushing that work down to the states.
The president said he would reconsider “the whole concept of FEMA” and states with regular natural disasters like Florida hurricanes and Oklahoma tornadoes are efficiently handling the process.
In late April, the president added former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant to a FEMA review panel.
FEMA encouraged individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas to first first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA app.
Staff Writer Bonnie Bolden contributed to this report.
Mississippi
Whooping cough cases rise in Mississippi. Where are most cases reported? What are symptoms?

Whooping cough: Symptoms, causes and treatments
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection known for severe coughing fits and a distinctive “whoop” sound.
- Mississippi has seen a rise in whooping cough cases in 2025, exceeding the total from the previous year.
- District 2 leads the state in reported cases, while other districts also report infections.
- Infants under one year old are most vulnerable to severe complications from whooping cough.
- Vaccination is considered the most effective preventive measure against the disease.
Whooping cough cases in Mississippi are on the rise, already surpassing the total number reported for all of last year, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause serious breathing problems and even life-threatening complications. This bacterial infection can affect both children and adults, though it is more critical in infants and toddlers.
The state Department of Health said 60 whooping cough cases have been reported between Jan. 1 and Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
District 2 — which includes Lee, Tishomingo and Benton counties — reported the highest number of whooping cough cases, with 25 as of Tuesday.
District 5, which includes Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties, has reported eight cases. District 8, which includes Forrest, Lamar and Jones counties, has reported fewer than five cases.
Theresa Kittle, epidemiology program director at the Mississippi State Department of Health, said in 2024, “there were 49 pertussis cases reported to MSDH. This includes both confirmed and probable cases.”
Have whooping cough cases increased in Mississippi since 2017?
According to the state Department of Health, an average of 44 whooping cough cases between 2017 and 2019 were reported to MSDH each year.
Kittle stated from 2020 to 2023, the average number of reported cases dropped to five per year, reflecting a nationwide trend.
Kittle said, however, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States and Mississippi in 2024, “indicating a return to more typical trends.”
In 2025, reported pertussis cases have varied weekly, ranging from zero to seven, with an average of three cases reported per week.
Kittle said there are peaks in reported cases of whooping cough every few years. Kittle said whooping cough is a common disease in the state and country.
“Pertussis cases can occur year-round,” Kittle said.
According to the American Lung Association, the illness is typically at its peak in the summer and fall months.
What are symptoms of whooping cough?
Whooping cough presents as the common cold initially, the according to the CDC, so watching for signs is important. If it’s whooping cough, symptoms tend to play out in three stages.
Stage 1: For a week or two, whooping cough presents as a cold. Those symptoms include:
- A runny or stuffy nose
- A low-grade fever under 100.4°F
- A mild cough could be present
- A more serious symptom that could appear early in babies is apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) that could result in cyanosis (when the skin turns blue or purple)
Stage 2: One to two weeks after becoming sick, coughing fits may develop. Some coughs will turn into paroxysms, which the CDC defines as “rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits.” This can last up to 10 weeks but is less likely to be severe or long-lasting the older you get, unless an individual is unvaccinated, the CDC states.
What to identify during coughing fits:
- A high-pitched “whoop” sound at the end of each coughing fit
- Vomiting due to excessive coughing
- Fatigue after coughing spells
- Breathing struggles
Stage 3: Recovery can last for up to three weeks. An individual’s cough will begin to diminish but may flare up again if another infection or illness is contracted.
Keep in mind that “coughing fits can return many months after the whooping cough illness started,” the CDC states.
Deaths due to whooping cough are “rare,” according to the Mayor Clinic.
Who is most at-risk of contracting whooping cough?
Age and underlying medical conditions can increase someone’s risk for getting a severe case of whooping cough.
Kittle said infants under 1-year-old are at the “greatest risk” for whooping cough and severe complications due to their immune systems still developing. Kittle said this age group “continues to have the highest reported rate of pertussis.”
Kittle noted that individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as immunocompromising conditions or moderate to severe asthma, are also at high risk for severe whooping cough infections.
“It’s especially important to prevent these people from getting sick,” Kittle said.
How to prevent whooping cough?
Good hygiene practices are recommended to help prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause many respiratory illnesses.
Preventive antibiotics may be administered to individuals exposed to whooping cough to reduce the risk of illness.
The best way to prevent whooping cough is through “vaccination,” Kittle said, adding that the CDC recommends whooping cough vaccination for everyone.
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
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