One-in-a-Million Identical Triplets: Parents Use Nail Polish to Tell Them Apart

A couple from North Carolina has welcomed an extraordinarily rare set of identical triplet girls — so similar in appearance that their parents rely on painted toenails to tell them apart.

Grace, Stella, and Emily look almost exactly alike, but their parents have found a simple and clever solution: each baby wears a different color of nail polish on her toes — purple, blue, and yellow — making it easier to identify them at a glance.

Gavin and Kimberly Fradel, from Wake Forest, were completely taken by surprise when they discovered they were expecting not one, but three babies. The triplets were conceived naturally, making their birth even more remarkable.

“I nearly fell off the table,” Kimberly recalled. “My first reaction was panic.”

At first, the idea of navigating a high-risk pregnancy and caring for three newborns felt overwhelming. But as support poured in from loved ones and colleagues, their confidence began to grow.

“Once the shock passed and we felt all the love around us, we realized we could handle it,” Kimberly said. “We’re not doing this alone — we have an incredible support system.”

Throughout the pregnancy, Gavin — a teacher — took on most of the responsibilities at home while also working toward his master’s degree in science education.

“He did everything,” Kimberly said. “I could barely do anything at all.”

On May 6, Gavin was in the middle of teaching when he received the call that Kimberly had gone into labor. His students cheered as he rushed out to be with his family. Just one day later, still wearing three hospital ID bands, he proudly walked across the stage to receive his degree.

“My wife encouraged me to go,” Gavin said. “She told me, ‘You’ve worked too hard for this — you need to be there.’”

While the parents were overjoyed, their two-year-old son, Gavin Jr., had a different initial reaction.

“He looked at them and said, ‘Daddy, take them back,’” Gavin said with a smile. “I told him, ‘I can’t — they’re your sisters.’”

Now, Gavin Jr., who has Down syndrome, has embraced his role as a big brother. He is affectionate and protective, often showering his sisters with kisses.

“He’s wonderful with them,” Kimberly said. “I truly believe all of our children have their own unique gifts, and they’ll share a special bond for life.”

Life with triplets is certainly demanding. The family goes through around 30 diapers a day and manages care in shifts so Kimberly can pump and breastfeed. Even so, their biggest challenge isn’t the workload — it’s finding enough time to hold each baby as much as they’d like.

“With our first child, we could hold him all the time,” Gavin said. “Now, those moments have to be shared between three.”

Despite the challenges, the parents say the most rewarding part has been watching their daughters connect with each other from the very beginning.

“They already seem to enjoy being together,” Gavin said. “They have built-in best friends — and you can already tell they’ll always have one another.”