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 The mum of tiny triplets has died suddenly at home after spending her first Christmas with her children. 
 
 Rachel Park 39, and her husband had hailed their children as Christmas miracles after they were allowed home for the first time in ten months after they were born prematurely. 
 
 But it has emerged today that Rachel died suddenly at home in Bransty, Whitehaven, on Tuesday, says after talking about how excited she was for Christmas. 
 
 A Facebook appeal has now been set up to help her husband Steven look after his young family. 
 
 Police have described Rachel's death as "unexplained but not suspicious", the BBC reported. 
 
 Steven wept tonight as he said: “She idolised those little girls, they were her world.” 
 
 He was too upset to say any more, as local mums rallied around to help. 
 
 Julie Hodgson, of Dearham, wrote on Facebook: “We have set up a PayPal account to try and raise money and give her beautiful family the support they need now, and in the coming months. 
 
 “We understand that it is an expensive time of year for everybody, but every little helps in this situation, please feel free to donate via PayPal to Parktriplets@gmail.com.” 
 
 The combined birthweight of the triplets was just 5lb 2oz – three tiny sisters weighing together as much as one small newborn alone. 
 
 Born 14 weeks early, triplets Poppie, Mollie and Evelyn fought for their lives in hospital for the first two months. 
 
 (Image: Collect Unknown) 
 
 Their terrified parents told the Daily Mirror before Christmas how they never heard the doctors say: ‘When your girls come home’. 
 
 Day after day, it was always ‘if’. 
 
 Rachel, 39, said one week before Christmas: “I remember the consultant telling us: ‘All we have is time. It is up to them, and how much of a fighter they are’.” 
 
 She also told the News and Star last week how the family was “ looking forward to Christmas, there’s toys everywhere!” 
 
 Following the news of Rachel's death, tributes have now been paid to the mum. 
 
 (Image: CHRIS NEILL/MAVERICK PHOTOGRAPHY) 
 
 Lucy Dawson told BBC Cumbria: "Rachel had the girls back in March this year and I fell pregnant with triplets just after. 
 
 "I got in touch with Rachel online and she supported me through every step because she knew what I was going through. I wouldn't be where I am without her support. 
 
 "She was a good friend to me and a good support to other ladies who had triplets in the area and across the UK as well." 
 
 For Steven and Rachel, their triplets were much longed for first babies, conceived on the fourth cycle of IVF . 
 
 They imagined this first Christmas over and over as the fun family occasion they had always dreamt of. 
 
 (Image: CHRIS NEILL/MAVERICK PHOTOGRAPHY) 
 
 But when their girls arrived unexpectedly early on March 11 at just 26 weeks and five days it seemed highly unlikely all three, if any, would make it. 
 
 Admin manager Rachel and Steven, a chef, married in 2009 and tried for six years to start a family. 
 
 They had three failed rounds of IVF on the NHS before a fourth done privately proved successful last summer. 
 
 “At six weeks I found out I was pregnant at last,” said Rachel. “At first they only found two heartbeats, so we were over the moon to be expecting twins.” 
 
 Two weeks later came the shock news the ‘twins’ were non-identical triplets. “We felt kind of numb,” Rachel admitted. 
 
 “It was disbelief, shock,” adds Steven. The triplets appeared healthy at every scan and the couple were excited at the thought of their ready made family. 
 
 “We could see them all on the scans, hear all three heartbeats,” says Rachel. 
 
 (Image: MDM) 
 
 “Last Christmas we began buying things for them – a pram for three, three Moses baskets.” 
 
 The triplets were due on June 12, but at 22 weeks Type 1 diabetes sufferer Rachel began to show signs of high blood pressure caused by potentially fatal pre-eclampsia. Her kidneys and liver were failing. 
 
 By 24 weeks the mum-to-be of Whitehaven, Cumbria, was sent to Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle nearly 100 miles away for specialist care where she suffered a serious bleed. 
 
 “They stopped it but after two days I had another,” she recalls. “ 
 
 They found a problem with blood flow from the placenta too. They told me my babies would be safer out than in.” 
 
 Rachel was taken for an emergency caesarean . “It was a blur,” she said. “I just wanted them out and to know they were OK.” 
 
 Due to heavy sedation and an infection, the new mum – who needed three transfusions – didn’t see her daughters for three days. 
 
 It is Steven who recalls their birth. 
 
 “There were so many people in that room, about 26,” he says. 
 
 “They lifted the babies up one by one and a team was allocated to each one. They let me touch Poppie. I kissed her on the head. 
 
 "But it was so frantic. I heard another cry, that was number two, Mollie. It was very emotional, the reality sunk in as they were rushed to the special baby unit.” 
 
 Poppie, Hollie and Evelyn weighed 1lb 9oz, 1lb 7oz and 1lb 6oz respectively and were put in incubators and on ventilators as their lungs were so tiny. 
 
 Speaking before Christmas, Rachel recalled her first sight of them. 
 
 “They wheeled me down. I met Evelyn first. I put my hand in to hold hers. It was so hard not to be able to give them cuddles, to have the glass between you. I read them nursery stories.” 
 
 An online fundraising page has now been set up to help her baby girls. ||||| Image copyright Family photo Image caption Rachel and Steven Park's triplets spent the first few months of their lives in hospital 
 
 Tributes are being paid to a mother of triplets who died after spending her first Christmas at home with her children. 
 
 Poppie, Mollie and Evelyn Park were born prematurely in March and spent several months in hospital in Newcastle and Whitehaven. 
 
 Their mother Rachel, 39, died at the family home in Bransty, Whitehaven, on Tuesday. 
 
 Police described her death as "unexplained but not suspicious". 
 
 Online appeals have been launched to help Mrs Park's husband Steven care for the youngsters who were born 14 weeks early. 
 
 More than £4,500 has been donated towards a £5,000 target on Go Fund Me while £4,900 has been raised through Paypal. 
 
 Family friend Lucy Dawson told BBC Cumbria: "Rachel had the girls back in March this year and I fell pregnant with triplets just after. 
 
 Image copyright Family photo Image caption The Parks said they had been looking forward to celebrating the triplets' first Christmas at home 
 
 "I got in touch with Rachel online and she supported me through every step because she knew what I was going through. I wouldn't be where I am without her support. 
 
 "She was a good friend to me and a good support to other ladies who had triplets in the area and across the UK as well." 
 
 Julie Hodgson, who also helped set up the appeals, said on her Facebook page its aim was to give Mrs Park's "beautiful family the support they need now and in the coming months". 
 
 Dozens of tributes have been posted with one describing her death as "totally tragic and heartbreaking". 
 
 The Parks spoke last week of their joy at having the children home for Christmas and told the BBC they were "three little bundles of miracles". 
 
 Mrs Park said their combined weight was less than two bags of sugar, adding: "They were really tiny. You were terrified to touch them in case they snapped or they broke." ||||| Tiny triplets who spent months in hospital are home in time for Christmas 
 
 Weighing a combined weight of two bags of sugar at birth, miracle triplets Poppie, Mollie and Evelyn Park faced a fight for their lives. 
 
 Born at 26 weeks, the sisters spent 111 days in hospital as their parents Steven and Rachel were “told to prepare for the worst”. 
 
 Issues over their prematurity meant the Bransty couple were scared their girls wouldn’t make it this far. 
 
 But now the triplets have made great strides and the parents can’t wait to spend Christmas at home with their three special gifts. 
 
 “They each took a turn at being quite poorly,” said mum Rachel. “It was touch and go with all three at some point but they’re all out of hospital and fine now. 
 
 “We were told to prepare for the worst. They’ve had quite a tough journey but they’re growing now and doing well. We’re looking forward to Christmas – there are toys everywhere!” 
 
 Born on March 11, the triplets spent over three months in Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. 
 
 Throughout the babies’ treatment at the infirmary, Steven, 37, and Rachel, 39, were supported by The Sick Children’s Trust, which provided free ‘home from home’ accommodation at its Crawford House site. 
 
 Rachel said: “Crawford House meant we were only a phone call away, and could be there in five minutes if they were poorly – which happened a few times. 
 
 “The Sick Children’s Trust has been an absolute lifeline on more than one occasion; without Crawford House we would have had the financial burden of hotel stays, or over a two-hour journey home to Whitehaven each day.” 
 
 After leaving Newcastle, the girls were admitted to West Cumberland Hospital as they still had feeding issues. But now Poppie, who weighed 1.9lb, Mollie, who weighed 1.75lb, and Evelyn, who weighed 1.6lb, are home and weighing “roughly 14 pounds each”. 
 
 Steven said: “When we look back on how poorly the girls were and where they are now – they’ve come so far and we’re just full of pride. 
 
 “They do have blips, but nothing life-threatening and they’re heading in the right direction. 
 
 “They’re happy, smiling and starting to show their emotions and exploring everything the world’s got to offer. 
 
 “Our girls have been on a huge journey so far and because of that we’re going to make sure their first Christmas will be extra special. We were so scared that they may not make it this far, and will therefore be really celebrating the festive season.” ||||| The triplets who were a 200 million-to-one chance: Couple beat the odds to give birth to identical set of girls 
 
 
 
 Karen and Ian Gilbert welcomed their tiny triplets six weeks ago 
 
 Doctors offered them a termination fearing the babies might not survive 
 
 
 
 Their parents, from Pontypool, say the experience has been 'crazy' 
 
 
 
 
 
 When Karen Gilbert learned she was pregnant with extremely rare identical triplets, she was stunned and delighted. 
 
 But, she said, doctors took a different view of her one-in-200million pregnancy and twice gave her an option to terminate it. They feared the three foetuses could take each other’s fluid and space and might not survive. 
 
 Later in the pregnancy she was told she could choose to keep only one or two of them. But Mrs Gilbert and her husband Ian were determined to have their three little girls. Now Ffion, Madison and Paige – who were born two months early on August 2 – have come home from hospital. 
 
 Delighted: Karen Gilbert with Ffion, Madison and Paige, whose birth weights were 3lb 80z, 3lb 5oz and 3lb 4oz 
 
 Mrs Gilbert, 32, said: ‘The pregnancy has taken its toll but now I’m taking my time to recover and get to know my three beautiful girls. 
 
 ‘The doctors thought it could be up to three months before we could bring them home so we feel privileged to have them here with us.’ 
 
 Mr Gilbert, a 34-year-old business manager, said: ‘We couldn’t consider termination – they were our babies. They were scanned every week to make sure they were growing fine.’ 
 
 Identical triplets occur when one egg splits in three, a one in 200million chance without IVF say experts. The couple from Pontypool, Wales, also have an older daughter Faye, aged three. 
 
 Beating the odds: (left to right) Ffion, Maddison and Paige Gilbert with their proud parents Karen and Ian 
 
 Doing well: The tiny trio spent the first six weeks of their life in intensive care but have now been allowed home 
 
 But medical professionals feared the rare birth and lack of space inside the womb could see the babies killing one another potentially killing one another. 
 
 'They were concerned about twin to twin syndrome, when the babies take each other’s fluid or space and starve or cramp each other,' revealed their father. 
 
 'Because they are identical, they all share the same placenta and the same fluid. 
 
 'They all grew and fought so quickly it was practically ripping Karen’s muscles apart. 
 
 
 
 'But we couldn’t consider termination - they were our babies. We were scanned every week to make sure they were growing fine. 
 
 ' At the last scan at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny Karen was in very serious pain. The doctors gave her pain killers but she started having contractions. 
 
 'Karen gave birth at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, but we got transferred back for the ante natal care.' 
 
 Painful: The strain of carrying the triplets took its toll on Karen and she is relieved the girls are safe and healthy 
 
 
 
 Sister act: The Gilberts' oldest daughter Faye, three, cuddles her trio of newborn siblings 
 
 Admin assistant Karen, 32, who gave birth by caesarian section two months early, said the experience had been 'crazy' but added that she was looking forward to getting to know her newborn daughters. 
 
 'It’s been crazy,' said Karen, who has another daughter named Faye, three. 'I still feel like someone’s going to tell me I’ve had my time with them now and take them away. 
 
 'We got married, went on honeymoon to New York, and came back to find out we were expecting. At first we thought it was one, but at eight weeks I got some really bad pains. We thought it was a miscarriage but it turns out it was three babies fighting for space. 
 
 'The pregnancy has taken its toll but now I’m taking my time to recover and get to know my three beautiful girls. 
 
 'Their personalities are already starting to shine through and I can’t wait to get to know them better.' 
 
 
 
 Now eight weeks old, the three girls are still tiny and weigh just six pounds - smaller than the average newborn. 
 
 'At first they didn’t look real and you could pick them up with one hand,' said business manager father Ian, 34, who added: 'It was a bit of a shock. 
 
 Intensive care: The babies spent the first six weeks of their life at the Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny 
 
 Home at last: The family are now back home in Pontypool and are looking forward to getting to know each other 
 
 'Now we’ve got them home we are coming to terms with it. They are starting to feel like our own. We had a few scares during the pregnancy, especially when Karen fell top to bottom down the stairs. 
 
 'Our three-year-old daughter Faye was in bed and I was at work. I came home to find Karen unconscious on the floor. I was petrified. I still can’t believe we made it through.' 
 
 'We were worried the hospital wouldn’t have enough beds and we’d have to split them up. It would have been horrible,' added Karen. 
 
 'There was also the worry that one would be ready to come home before the others. Luckily, we managed to keep them together. 
 
 ' The doctors thought it could be up to three months before we could bring them home so we feel privileged to have got them here with us so soon.' 
 
 
 
 Julian Hayman, press office for Nevill Hall Hospital, said: 'The midwives were all thrilled to have a triplet birth at the Royal Gwent Hospital.
– A UK mother who made the news for having extremely premature triplet girls who all survived has herself died unexpectedly. Rachel Park, who died at age 39 just days after taking her 9-month-old babies home from the hospital for Christmas, became pregnant after six years of trying with her husband, Steven, and on her fourth round of IVF. "She idolized those little girls," her husband said. "They were her world." The cause of death is still unknown, but police say the circumstances are not suspicious, reports the BBC. During the pregnancy, Park, a Type 1 diabetic, developed pre-eclampsia, and her blood pressure got so high that her kidneys and liver began to fail. At just 24 weeks' pregnant, she was sent to a hospital in Newcastle 100 miles from her home, where she suffered what the Mirror calls "a serious bleed." Doctors found a problem with blood flowing to the placenta, and performed an emergency C-section when the triplets were 26 weeks and five days along. Due June 12, the girls were put on ventilators upon their birth on March 11 and, weighing 5 pounds combined, spent two months fighting for their lives. "It was touch and go with all three at some point," Rachel told the News & Star just a week ago. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Steven and his daughters Poppie, Mollie, and Evelyn. (Just days before the Park triplets were born in the UK, a mother of newborn triplets died in Kansas.)