It was one of the most miraculous and famous births of the 90s. Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey made headlines when they became parents to the first set of septuplets – four boys and three girls – on November 19, 1997. The seven siblings – Alexis, Kenny Jr., Kelsey, Nathan, Natalie, Brandon, and Joel – would go on to survive infancy, making them the world’s first set of surviving septuplets.
But as you would expect, raising the septuplets wasn’t an easy task for the McCaugheys considering that they already had a firstborn daughter, Mikayla.
When the whole family appeared on Today Show’s “Where Are They Now?”, Bobbie McCaughey attributed their ability to raise all their children to a strong support system from family and friends, as well as their super strong faith. Indeed if you can remember, the McCaugheys received lots of help following the birth of the seven siblings.
Some of the things they received include a large van, a seven-bedroom home, two years worth of diapers, nanny services, a year’s worth of Kraft’s cheese and macaroni, full college scholarships for all the septuplets to any state university in Iowa and more. The then President of USA, Bill Clinton also called the family personally to congratulate them.
Bobbi, a para-educator, and Kenny, who works at a metal coating plant, had to work extremely hard over the years to provide for the needs of all their children.
This included taking care of the medical needs of Nathan and Alexis who were born with cerebral palsy, braces for some of the siblings, as well as paying school fees for Mikayla, 19 who is a freshman at Des Moines Area Community College.
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Luckily, both Nathan and Alexis underwent surgeries two years ago, and are doing very well now. Other than the stress of raising such a huge family, the McCaugheys also had to deal with intense media scrutiny on every aspect of the septuplets’ lives.
However, over the years, the media coverage has slowed down allowing them to live a much more normal life.
The septuplets celebrated their 18th birthdays a few weeks ago, and are really excited to embark on new paths as adults after graduating from Carlisle High School. Brandon is hoping to join the Army in June next year, while the other siblings have a plan of joining college to pursue different courses of their choice.
Meanwhile, Bobbi and Kenny are much more relaxed now that the famous siblings are becoming independent. They may not know what the future holds for their children, but one thing is for sure for the McCaugheys – time really does fly.
Take a look at this video to see how the septuplets are all grown-up now.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56vxXcz3V74&w=600]
