VIDEO: The World’s First Septuplets Have Turned 18!

Bobbi McCaughey was 29 when the became a mother of world’s first surviving septuplets. It was for the first time in America’s history when a woman had septuplets. The smallest baby was 2.5 pounds and the biggest baby was 3.4 pounds. It was a miracle that the children were all born alive, so at that time, America celebrated. Now the country celebrates again because they turned 18!
According to the dailymail.co.uk, The world’s first septuplets to survive infancy are ready go their separate ways after graduating from high school on Sunday.
All seven of the McCaugheys – Kenny, Kelsey, Natalie, Brandon, Alexis, Nathan and Joel – accepted their diplomas at the Carlisle High School in Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported.
The septuplets have come a long way since they were born nine weeks premature in November 1997 weighing between two and four pounds, with doctors fearing they wouldn’t survive.
Mother Bobbi McCaughey was born with a malfunctioning pituitary gland and did not produce enough of the hormones to stimulate ovulation.
One injection of the fertility drug Metrodin proved more than successful, and both she and her husband Kenny declined selective reduction after learning they were pregnant with seven children, saying it was ‘in God’s hands’.
They received generous donations including a 5,500-square-foot home, a van, a year’s worth of Kraft’s macaroni and cheese, and two year’s worth of free diapers.
Among the offers was a full ride to Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri, which some of the McCaughey children are cashing in 18 years later, according to the Des Moines Register.
Others are headed for the military and some are choosing to go straight into the work force, KCCI reported.
Alexis, who suffers from cerebral palsy, finished high school at the top 15per cent of her class, and both she and sister Natalie earned a place in the National Honor Society.
All seven walked the stage in their black and red gowns, and Bobbi told the Des Moines Register. ‘It will be pretty drastic. Everyone gone all at once.’
The septuplets spurred a media frenzy, while their parents were subject to controversy in 1997. Some bashed the parents for bringing so many children into the world and exploiting them, while others were extremely supportive.
But as the press began to fade, Kenny, who works for a metal coating company, said he made sure to teach his children the importance of hard work and the reality that some of their lifestyle perks came from their personal story.
And the couple have already seen that ambition in their children, including Alexis and Nathan, who were both born with forms of cerebral palsy.
Nathan taught himself how to walk and said he continues to practice every day.
‘I taught myself how to walk because I really wanted to learn,’ he said. ‘It’s just been getting better and better.’
Alexis still uses a walker but went on to become the co-captain of her high school cheerleading squad. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Looking back, the septuplets were grateful for their large family, and the parents credited help from friends and family, along with their faith in God, that helped them through.
While they couldn’t have gotten this far without each other, they are all very different, and now that they have finished high school they all have a great feeling about starting fresh. They’re thinking about not telling people in college that they are septuplets and just seeing how it goes.
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