When Kenny and Bobbie McCaughey learned they were expecting in 1997 after undergoing fertility treatment, they were overjoyed.
Little did they know that their family was about to go down in history—because Bobbi was having septuplets.
After the shock subsided, the parents were faced with a tough decision. They had to decide whether to have all seven children despite the great risks presented to both mother and children or choose selective reduction and have just some of the babies, with fewer risks.
Because the parents wanted to give all their children a chance, they decided that Bobbie would deliver all seven children. And miraculously, all of the babies survived the difficult delivery, making them the world’s first surviving set of septuplets!
The septuplets were born via C-Section, 2 months premature. The smallest baby weighed 2.5 pounds and the largest baby 3.4 pounds.
Kenny, Bobbie and the septuplets became an international phenomenon, and newspapers and news channels around the world reported on the miraculous birth.
Now, the miracle septuplets are all grown up. Have a look at them below, celebrating their 16th birthday, with their parents (center):
NBC News has followed the family over the years and the Today Show did a story on them just before the children’s 18th birthday. It is really wonderful to see how the kids have grown up together.
It’s hard to imagine how what it’s like to take care of 7 babies. Mom Bobbi explains that most people were supportive, but occasionally the family received unwanted attention:
“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,” Bobbi tells Jesus Daily.
“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.”
But I imagine that time flew by for the McCaughey family. How wonderful it must be to be a part of such a large family—to always have a sibling to play with or to talk to. The bond between these septuplets is really unique, and it’s fascinating to follow their upbringing.
In May, Iowa’s world famous septuplets became high school graduates. Six are going to college and the 7th is joining the military.
Look at how they’ve grown up in the interview below!
How cool is it to see these septuplets all grown up? Please help us wish these great kids the best of luck in the future by sharing this story!
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