McCaughey septuplets
Encyclopedia
The McCaughey septuplets (born November 19, 1997) are a set of septuplets born to Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey in Des Moines, Iowa
, United States.
, Iowa
. The septuplets have one older sister, Mikayla Marie (born January 3, 1996).
The septuplets were conceived as the result of fertility drugs. When the couple discovered that Bobbi was carrying seven infants, they declined selective reduction
to reduce the number of fetuses, saying that they would "put it in God's hands". The obstetricians primarily responsible for the medical care of the babies were Dr. Karen Drake and Dr. Paula Mahone.
Alexis and Nathan have cerebral palsy
although Nathan received spinal surgery in November, 2005 in order to help his walking abilities.
The birth attracted significant media attention, both positive and negative, including a feature in Time magazine
in December 1997.
“In the beginning, for every ten letters we would get that were happy for us, we’d get one letter accusing us of exploiting the kids and being selfish to waste the world’s resources on a family this big,” said Bobbi in a 2007 interview. “Our neighbors never gawked; here in Carlisle—they gave us privacy. But we had complete strangers come around to the back door, knock, and ask if they could hold a baby.”
The McCaugheys were the recipients of many generous donations, including a 5500 ft² (511 m²) house, a van and diapers for the first two years, as well as nanny services, and even the State of Iowa offering full college scholarships to the babies upon their maturity and graduation from high school to any state university
in Iowa. U.S. President Bill Clinton
personally telephoned Mr. and Mrs. McCaughey to wish them his congratulations.
The surviving Dionne quintuplets
wrote a letter warning the parents to keep the septuplets out of the public eye and not allow them to fall into the same pitfalls as their parents did, but wished them the best of luck in raising them and their personal congratulations.
By the time of the septuplets' tenth birthday in 2007, the family was declining most requests for interviews, other than annual stories with KCCI
and Ladies' Home Journal
. Bobbi McCaughey has noted that the preponderance of media attention does not necessarily mean they have granted many interviews, saying, “There was all kinds of stuff in the papers early on—but they never actually interviewed us. Most of it is one paper quoting another.”
Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey occasionally speak at pro-life
events and continue to oppose selective reduction
. Bobbi has been famously quoted as saying, “Well, come to our house, and tell me which four I shouldn’t have had!” The family continues to attend a Baptist church in West Des Moines, Iowa, where Kenny serves as a deacon. In 2010, TLC made a documentary for their thirteenth birthday that aired on December 28, 2010.
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, United States.
Biography
The siblings are the world's first set of septuplets to survive infancy. They were born nine weeks prematurely in Des Moines to Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey , residents of the nearby town of CarlisleCarlisle, Iowa
Carlisle is a city in Warren and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 3,497 at the 2000 census. The city is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The septuplets have one older sister, Mikayla Marie (born January 3, 1996).
- Kenneth (Kenny) Robert: 3 lb. 4oz. (1.47 kg)
- Alexis May: 2 lb. 11oz. (1.22 kg)
- Natalie Sue: 2 lb. 10oz. (1.19 kg)
- Kelsey Ann: 2 lb. 5oz. (1.05 kg)
- Nathan Roy: 3 lb. 3oz. (1.45 kg)
- Brandon James: 2 lb. 14oz. (1.30 kg)
- Joel Steven: 2 lb. 15oz. (1.33 kg)
The septuplets were conceived as the result of fertility drugs. When the couple discovered that Bobbi was carrying seven infants, they declined selective reduction
Selective reduction
Selective reduction is the practice of aborting one or more fetuses in a multifetal pregnancy. Such an abortion procedure is often performed after a congenital defect has been identified...
to reduce the number of fetuses, saying that they would "put it in God's hands". The obstetricians primarily responsible for the medical care of the babies were Dr. Karen Drake and Dr. Paula Mahone.
Alexis and Nathan have cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
although Nathan received spinal surgery in November, 2005 in order to help his walking abilities.
The birth attracted significant media attention, both positive and negative, including a feature in Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
in December 1997.
“In the beginning, for every ten letters we would get that were happy for us, we’d get one letter accusing us of exploiting the kids and being selfish to waste the world’s resources on a family this big,” said Bobbi in a 2007 interview. “Our neighbors never gawked; here in Carlisle—they gave us privacy. But we had complete strangers come around to the back door, knock, and ask if they could hold a baby.”
The McCaugheys were the recipients of many generous donations, including a 5500 ft² (511 m²) house, a van and diapers for the first two years, as well as nanny services, and even the State of Iowa offering full college scholarships to the babies upon their maturity and graduation from high school to any state university
State university
In the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S....
in Iowa. U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
personally telephoned Mr. and Mrs. McCaughey to wish them his congratulations.
The surviving Dionne quintuplets
Dionne quintuplets
The Dionne quintuplets are the first quintuplets known to survive their infancy. The sisters were born just outside Callander, Ontario, Canada near the village of Corbeil.The Dionne girls were born two months premature...
wrote a letter warning the parents to keep the septuplets out of the public eye and not allow them to fall into the same pitfalls as their parents did, but wished them the best of luck in raising them and their personal congratulations.
By the time of the septuplets' tenth birthday in 2007, the family was declining most requests for interviews, other than annual stories with KCCI
KCCI
KCCI is a television station that broadcasts on channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the CBS television network and serves most of central Iowa. Owned by Hearst Television, KCCI has studios in downtown Des Moines. The station's transmitter is located in Alleman, Iowa, about midway...
and Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
. Bobbi McCaughey has noted that the preponderance of media attention does not necessarily mean they have granted many interviews, saying, “There was all kinds of stuff in the papers early on—but they never actually interviewed us. Most of it is one paper quoting another.”
Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey occasionally speak at pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
events and continue to oppose selective reduction
Selective reduction
Selective reduction is the practice of aborting one or more fetuses in a multifetal pregnancy. Such an abortion procedure is often performed after a congenital defect has been identified...
. Bobbi has been famously quoted as saying, “Well, come to our house, and tell me which four I shouldn’t have had!” The family continues to attend a Baptist church in West Des Moines, Iowa, where Kenny serves as a deacon. In 2010, TLC made a documentary for their thirteenth birthday that aired on December 28, 2010.