Quadruplets follow in mum's footsteps to become nurses

A Woodbridge family are overjoyed after a set of quadruplets followed in their mother's footsteps by qualifying as hospital staff.

Mum Joby Shibu Mathew has had her joy multiplied by four after her daughters finished their training at Ipswich Hospital this year, where she works as a nurse.

The quadruplets, aged 21, completed training placements at Ipswich Hospital after beginning their studies in 2018, having all felt inspired by their mother's selflessness.

Three of them have now fully trained as nurses, while fourth daughter Aneesha has completed her physiotherapy qualification.

Aneesha has now secured a job at Kettering Hospital, while her sisters Aleena, Anjel and Aneetta work at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.

Three of the sisters studied at the University of Suffolk – where their mother also studied – while Aneesha studied physiotherapy at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich.

Aneesha said it is funny how she and her sisters have all followed the same path into the medical field.

She said: “When she (mum) completed her degree, it was a huge inspiration for us all.

"We’d grown up in an environment where we saw how hard she worked and why she loved it.

“It is funny my sisters and I have gone into the same career, but I think we often try to be different and we seem to end up choosing the same thing. It happens with lots of things in our life.

“I was attracted to physiotherapy because I wanted to help people recover and get them back to their lives.”

Mrs Shibu Mathew had previously worked as a senior carer before beginning her nursing training in 2014.

She believes her history in the profession set the example for her daughters.

Mrs Shibu Mathew, who qualified in 2017, said she hopes her children will be an inspiration for other people their age.

She said: “They said to me they saw my passion for caring and being a nurse and that that they wanted to do it too.

“Nursing options are great for them and it’s just how it’s worked out that they all wanted to do the same thing – with Aneesha the slight difference with physiotherapy.

"They have always been very close and love each other very much. It was so emotional to say goodbye when they moved out.

"I really enjoy my job and being part of the team – this is an amazing opportunity for all of them and I know they will love it.

“My husband Shibu and I are very proud of all of them.”