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Octuplets mother: I always wanted a huge family
Kiran Randhawa6 Feb 2009
The mother who gave recently birth to octuplets spoke for the first time today saying how she always dreamed of having a huge family after growing up as an only child.
In an interview with NBC's Today show, Nadya Suleman, who already had six children, told how all 14 were born through IVF using sperm donated by a friend.
The 33-year-old from California said she had battled with depression before finally giving birth to her first child in 2001. She said: “That was always a dream, to have a huge family. I just longed for certain connections that ... I lacked growing up.”
Describing her childhood as “dysfunctional”, she added: “I didn't feel as though I had much control of my environment. It was pretty dysfunctional — whose childhood isn't?”
While the world celebrated the birth of the octuplets, public support waned when it was revealed that Miss Suleman has six other children, aged from two to seven, and is a single parent. She lives in a three-bedroom house outside Los Angeles with her parents and has no visible means of financial support.
Her parents initially bought her the house but went bankrupt and had to move in with her. Her family has indicated that she may have serious mental health problems.
She said: “I went through about seven years of trying. And then the first IVF procedure was successful. And then I just kept going in.” Miss Suleman was released from Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Centre yesterday morning. She gave birth on 26 January.
The six boys and two girls are said to be in a good condition and are the longest known surviving octuplets in the world. It has not been revealed which doctor implanted eight embryos at once into Miss Suleman.
According to doctors' reports, Miss Suleman had said she had a happy childhood. She told them she had been an above-average high school student, enjoyed being a cheerleader and had many friends. She also told a doctor she had three miscarriages. Another doctor disputed this, saying she had two ectopic pregnancies.
She also revealed she battled with depression after she was injured in a riot in 1999 at the state mental hospital where she worked. She collected more than $165,000 in disability payments between 2002 and 2008. She said the depression resulted in the break-up of her four-year marriage in 2000.
Miss Suleman has a degree in child and adolescent development from California State University, where she was studying for a master's degree in counselling when she became pregnant with the octuplets. She reportedly hopes to earn up to £1.37million from selling her story.
Her mother, Angela Suleman, said she hoped the TV interview would bring back public support for her daughter: “She's basically normal except for this obsession she's always had with children.”
Reader views (12)
How is she capable - supposedly being unable to work due to diability - to look after six children let alone fourteen.
- Jan, London, 08/02/2009 07:57
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Who agreed to her undergoing IVF treatment? I always thought IVF treatment was used as a last resort for women who could not conceive naturally. If this is still the case then whoever carried it out acted completely irresponsibly.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 07/02/2009 10:23
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This woman Nadya Suleman was on disability for the past 10 years due to a prior back injury. If she was too disabled to work, how did she manage to do several IVF cycles and have 14 children during this time period? Doesn't sound like she was disabled to me.
It appears that Nadya Suleman knows how to work the system and will have no problems finding funds for her growing family and ridiculous decisions.
- Jeannie, colorado United States, 07/02/2009 05:46
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The more I hear about her I want to choke her. How selfish of her. Each child deserves parents (that means 2) that can give of there time and devotion without having to fight for it with so many brothers and sisters while they are little especially , it will be impossible. Good going you total moron. Those kids are the ones to pay the price of your selfishness. This is so disturbing.
- Wendy Mehr, Monterey, 07/02/2009 03:02
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What people in Europe dont understand is that this woman's expenses are all paid for by the taxpapers....FREE The bill so far is $1.5 million
- Terry Senton, hounslow middx, 06/02/2009 18:55
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Her idea of supporting all these children is to "make £1.37 million from selling her story"? And she wonders why people here in the US are outraged--and hope her 15 minutes of fame is about over
- Pam, Michigan, USA, 06/02/2009 18:22
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All I can say is Thank Goodness she doesn't live in the UK....
- Pam, Rhyl, 06/02/2009 17:00
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she clearly did this for the money - if the media/company sponsors have any sense they won't pay this woman a dime
- Andy, London, 06/02/2009 16:56
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just be grateful she doesn't live in England, as she would have been given a free mansion and about ten grand a month income support by now!
- Ken D, east london, 06/02/2009 16:45
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The Doctor and Clinic should have their licences taken away - this woman already had 6 children.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING ?
....well obviously they weren't thinking and WE the taxpayers have to pay for it - I agree with Lisajo -send them the bill.
- Liz, Atlanta, USA, 06/02/2009 16:39
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Yeah I'd just like to know how a woman with no means of support and SIX CHILDREN UNDER SEVEN YEARS OF AGE manages to get IVF tratment again????
I would seriously love to get hold of the person who gave this the go ahead and then present THEM with the bill for looking after these kids for the next 18 years!! It makes my blood boil.
- Lisajo, leeds, 06/02/2009 14:58
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“She's basically normal except for this obsession she's always had with children.”
So she's not normal at all then.
- Casper Slides, France at the moment, 06/02/2009 12:39
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