A stay-at-home father of famous one-year-old quadruplets has tragically died, leaving his wife to face raising their small brood alone.
Brett Wills passed away on Sunday, June 9, leaving behind his wife, Joanne Wills, and their five children – three-year-old Peter and one-year-old quadruplets Jonathan, Oliver, Lucy and Esther.
The close family lived in Napier, on New Zealand’s North Island.
Mr Wills passed from unexplained health issues, with his wife Esther saying: ‘Unfortunately, his body became too weak and he could no longer cope and went to be with the Lord in the afternoon.’
Esther, a Hawke’s Bay Coastguard skipper and secretary, gave birth to the quadruplets at Wellington Hospital in August 2022.
The babies were born prematurely at 31 weeks and one day via a planned caesarean section without complications.
It’s understood that Jonathan, Oliver, Lucy, and Esther were the only second quadruplets born in New Zealand in the last 20 years.
In an emotional social media post, Mrs Wills remembered her husband.
‘We are all heartbroken, he was the most amazing loving and dedicated father and husband, and adored all his children,’ she wrote.
‘Unfortunately, his body became too weak and he could no longer cope and went to be with the Lord in the afternoon.
‘He was a very humble and Godly man and will be dearly missed.’
An online fundraiser for the family said: ‘Brett was an amazing stay-at-home dad to his five children and an active member of his local church.’
The Givealittle page has raised more than $30,000 since it was started on Monday.
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