The more children a woman gives birth to at a time, the greater the likelihood of complications. It very rarely happens that a multiple pregnancy ends with a successful birth. That’s why this story is so incredible. Bobby and Kenny McCaughey’s first child was born on January 3, 1996. The girl was named Mikayla Marie, and it was a small miracle.
Bobbi was born with a faulty pituitary gland, which has caused fertility problems for many years. The birth of one child already seemed fantastic, but still young parents wanted to have a big family. They had to consider various ways to enable them to achieve this.
Kenny and Bobby decided that the best way to have another child was to take hormone therapy. This procedure stimulates ovulation and can help those who have fertility problems. As they desperately wanted to have another baby, Bobby and Kenny McCaughey were more than happy to try everything they could. But they could not even imagine how much their family would grow…
When Bobbie went for a regular checkup, doctors found something incredible in her womb. Not one, not two, not three, but seven embryos.
There were seven children growing up inside Bobby McCaughey. The world could not believe it, despite the fact that multiple pregnancies are quite common in the treatment of fertility. Kenny and Bobby refused to selectively reduce the number of embryos in order to give their children more chances, saying that they would leave the decision in the hands of God.
Of course, such news spreads quickly. The McCaughey family quickly found themselves in the spotlight. Many were sure that the parents acted selfishly by refusing to selectively reduce the number of embryos, as this would increase the chances of the remaining children to good health. However, Bobby and Kenny took it all calmly.
After the news of the birth of the seven-year-olds spread, and during the first years of the children’s lives, the McCaughey family received an incredible amount of donations from well-wishers. So, a young family received a 5,000 square foot (1,524 square meters) house, babysitting services, a year of free Kraft macaroni and cheese, diapers and a van. Bobby and Kenny couldn’t believe how generous everyone was.
It is clear that both Kenny and Bobby were worried about the upcoming birth. They had a lot of consultations with doctors, discussing options for delivery. On November 19, 1997, all seven babies were born 9 weeks prematurely. The birth took place by Caesarean section, and all the babies were born within six minutes. Their weights ranged from 2 pounds 5 ounces (1.13 kilograms) to 3 pounds 4 ounces (1.54 kilograms), but they all seemed healthy enough. Only time will tell what will happen.
All seven babies survived the birth: four boys and three girls. Luckily, Bobby and Kenny were armed with a list of names for all of them. They were named Kenny (Kenneth) Robert (he was the largest child), Alexis May, Natalie Sue, Kelsey Ann (the smallest child), Nathan Roy, Brandon James and Joel Stephen. After the birth of the seven-year-olds, they attracted even more media attention. In December 1997 (a month after their birth), their photo was published in Time magazine.
American President Bill Clinton called on everyone to wish the family well. They also met with President George W. Bush and took part in the Oprah Winfrey show several times. The McCaughey family was famous and featured in newspaper articles all over the world.
Unfortunately, as often happens with premature babies, not everyone was 100% healthy. Both Alexis and Nathan were born with cerebral palsy. Alexis and Nathan found it difficult to walk without assistance, but they were otherwise healthy. Considering that seven babies were squeezed into one uterus, this can be considered as an absolute miracle. When the seven-year-olds got older, they began their journey into adulthood. The end of school was approaching, and everyone wanted to become independent.
Their parents watched as each of the children began to make a decision about what they wanted to do in the future. Some already had their own goals and aspirations, others were not so sure. Giving life advice to one child is difficult enough, but helping seven must have been difficult for Bobby and Kenny.
Interestingly, all seven children had completely different goals and aspirations in life. For example, Nathan showed a great interest in science and hopes to eventually make a career in this field. Alexis and Natalie were the best in their school and wanted to become teachers. Kelsey, the smallest of them all, adored music and wanted to continue studying it in college. Joel wanted to work in computer science, and Kenny Jr. was interested in the construction industry.
