The Untold Truth Of Dennis Quaid's Twins
For actor Dennis Quaid, life has come to imitate art. After all, the movie star married his younger fiancee Laura Savoie in June 2020 and he has young twins at home. While his fourth wife continues to give us some serious Meredith Blake vibes, Quaid's son Thomas Boone and daughter Zoe Grace did not always reside at the heart of this "The Parent Trap" throwback. In fact, the first few weeks of their lives felt like something straight out of a horror film for Quaid and his third wife, Kimberly Buffington.
According to People, Quaid and Buffington welcomed their twins via surrogate in November 2007. About 10 days after their birth, the newborns contracted staph infections and were quickly admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. However, it was there that both children were given reportedly 10,000 units of Heparin blood thinner (twice!), instead of the 10 units prescribed — an overdose that nearly cost the kids their lives.
As Quaid told the Los Angeles Times, no one called him or Buffington about the accident that made it impossible for their two babies' blood to clot. It was not until they returned to the hospital to visit the twins the next day that they discovered this traumatic turn of events. "Our kids could have been dying, and we wouldn't have been able to come down to the hospital to say goodbye," he explained. But thanks to prayer and the diligent hospital staff, Quaid's twins overcame the life-and-death ordeal.
After Dennis Quaid's twins nearly died, Cedars-Sinai altered its protocol
Once actor Dennis Quaid's twins Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace recovered from an accidental overdose of the blood thinner Heparin, Quaid and his third wife Kimberly Buffington ultimately sued Baxter Healthcare Corp., the maker of the medication, in which they accused the company of failing to recall the drug after other infants died due to poorly labeled vials that spawned said medical mix-ups. Quaid and Buffington also settled with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for $750,000 after this mistake nearly killed their newborns.
However, after the hospital was also fined $25,000 by the California Department of Public Health, Quaid told Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss' podcast Allegedly (per People) that, in addition to an apology to all the families impacted, Cedars-Sinai vastly improved its protocol to ensure such deadly scares never happen again. "The hospital really stepped up and instituted a lot of patient safety that was very cutting edge and led the way with that," Quaid said. "So a lot of good things came out of it, and I think a lot of lives got saved because of that the drug companies, or the hospitals, actually put my face on the bottle to remind people for a time!"
Quaid explained that, while this "was the most frightening time of [their] lives," they felt the strong need to "step up for it" to guarantee that no other children or parents would ever have to endure what his own kids went through.
Dennis Quaid's twins are 'perfectly normal' after near-death experience
While doctors weren't sure whether the accidental Heparin overdose would have lasting effects on Dennis Quaid's twins Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, the actor revealed that, years later, his kids are not just surviving — they are thriving. "They're perfectly normal as could be now," Quaid told Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss' podcast Allegedly (per People) in 2015. "They're like head of their class."
Quaid added that, while he went "to a dark place," he and then-wife Kimberly Buffington remained optimistic, and ultimately, the whole family "had a happy ending." In fact, his kids' health happens to be the one factor that gives him the most peace. "My favorite time is actually when I'm in the car taking them to school," Quaid told People in 2018. "During breakfast, getting them up, you really get to know them. They're as fresh as they're going to get. It's not the witching hour at night when it's time to go to bed and all the excuses come out. A lot of bonding goes on in the morning, talking about life."
Quaid — who also shares son Jack with second wife, actress Meg Ryan — said becoming a father changed his life completely. "It took my focus off myself, which is always good for an actor because actors are so self-involved," he explained. "And I've learned more patience. Hopefully!"
Dennis Quaid said parenting is easier now
Dennis Quaid's oldest son Jack told People magazine he used to visit his parents while working. "I would go on location with my parents a lot, but it was almost like, you go for a few hours," Jack told the outlet in 2022. "I wasn't taking any pointers or anything. A kid can't handle how slow a set moves, so I would watch a couple of takes and then go to the craft service truck and try to steal all the candy I could!" Daddy Quaid told Home Business Magazine that raising kids is "a lot easier now" and that his daughter isn't that interested in visiting him at work. Quaid said, "I took my daughter to the set, and she said it's taking too long. I think she got bored."
The "Parent Trap" star said he is a different kind of dad with his twins, telling Home Business Magazine, "You don't worry so much. I know they will have to go to college, and won't be wearing pull-ups for the rest of their life. I am more concerned that we are having a lot of fun with the kids. I am not allowing myself to think that I have a girl now and that boys will be coming at some point."