FORT WALTON BEACH — Rita Robinson is counting down the days until she can finally pick up her babies.
For the last month, the mother of four has had to rely on her husband and the kindness of strangers to give her children the care they need while she recovers from surgery.
“It just seems like forever,” Rita said with a sigh as she cuddled with her sleeping 2-year-old and glanced toward her 5-month-old triplets. “It’s heartbreaking. Babies know scents and it’s like, ‘Do they even know who Mommy is?’ ”
The surgery that left Rita incapable of lifting more than 10 pounds for six weeks was the result of complications from her pregnancy with Zamen, Zamyah and Niren.
In the beginning, it was fairly easy to understand why she shouldn’t lift the babies or toddler Niyah. But Rita is feeling better these days, and it’s a battle not to pick up the babies.
“I know I need to be 100 percent, but it’s hard,” Rita said. “When you see your kids needing something, you do it.”
Daily News readers were introduced to the Robinson family a month ago after Rita’s mother, Linda Benson, looked for a way to help her daughter and grandchildren.
The community response has been overwhelming, according to Rita and her husband, Greg Robinson.
“Complete strangers go out of their way to be here,” Rita said. “You don’t know how good people can be until you’re in a situation like (this).”
In the weeks since their story was shared, the Robinsons have been helped by both young and as they deal with both Rita’s problems and the infants’ various health issues. “Just at the point that you think, ‘Oh, I’m going to be left alone with the kids,’ … somebody comes knocking at the door,” Rita said with a smile. People aren’t just helping with the babies. They’ve scrubbed floors, washed dishes, done laundry and even helped with yard work..
“It’s like a tightness in your brain releases when they come,” Greg said. “The volunteers really, really took a load off our shoulders.”
Even people who aren’t able to come out to help the family have reached out. A few have sent money, and one woman even asked Rita if she could be her granny.
Rita said she welcomed the offer because her grandmother had passed away, and now they talk on the phone every other day.
“The Robinsons really want you to know how much we appreciate you guys,” Greg said of all of the volunteers.
Unfortunately for the family, their situation will only get a little better when Rita can lift her children again.
Niren has four serious conditions with his heart that will require open heart surgery.
The family thought they still had awhile before the surgery, but doctors recently decided to move up the procedure after seeing that Niren had gained enough weight to move forward faster.
For Greg and Rita, the news was good and bad.
It’s wonderful because that means their son will be one step closer to a future that won’t keep him connected to a machine that monitors his oxygen levels. It’s bad because they haven’t saved nearly enough money to cover the costs involved.
To try to offset some of the expense — they need to rent a vehicle for the drive to the Orlando hospital because their van is too small — the family is planning a yard sale May 26.