Friday, January 30, 2009

Crazy Lady!

Update below.

I just heard on the news about the single mom of 6 who had fertility treatments done and delivered octuplets. She is divorced, living with her parents (her mom filed bankruptcy last year) and now has 14 children. Yeah. FOURTEEN! I desperately hope that there is some information that can shed a more positive light on the situation but I cannot fathom what that could be. I am curious as to who paid for her fertility treatments and how the doctor justified providing those treatments in his own mind when she already had 6 children. I know it's a gray area because who really has the right to stop someone from having children. Where did the sperm come from? She was divorced in January '08 (according to the news), months prior to getting pregnant. Who is paying for the delivery and hospital stay for these 8 precious babes? Who is going to pay once they go home? How is this woman and her poor parents (and I don't mean poor financially, I mean I'm sad for them) going to raise 14 kids. I'm just astounded, flabbergasted really. Stunned.

I know, it's really none of my business but it's not as if I really expect her to come here and answer so I'm going to wonder. My personal opinion based only on the information that I have is that it was really wrong for her and her doctor to arrange for this pregnancy. According to the doctor on the news only two embryos should have been implanted as well so how did she end up with eight? I just have so much going through my mind. Knowing how stressful it can be on some days to have only three (beautiful, wonderful) children and with the support of my family and friends and long distance support of a wonderful husband. I can only think that this woman is actually mentally ill. I might think differently tomorrow after I sleep on it. But I doubt it.

Update: Found this article tonight.

9 comments:

My Three Sons said...

Is this the same lady that is on the news here and she was only supposed to have 7 and ended up having 8? The news said she had 42 hospital staff in her delivery room to take care of all of those children. If this is the same woman, that is really hard to believe she would willingly put her parents in that situation. I'm with you, 6 is already enough. I'm having troube balancing three by myself. WOW

Anonymous said...

You and I must have watched the same news program. Yeah, I totally agree 100%. I just don't get it. Why, oh why would one do that? Thankfully God has a plan for all those babies!

Joel said...

The thing is, it gets to be our business when our tax money is paying for her public assistance. I'm all for public assistance when something horrible happens in her life (divorce, widowed, etc.) and she needs to take care of her kids.

I also think there should be limits on kids (I'm a horrible person, I know). I don't mean in the China kind of way, but if someone is on public assistance, or has filed for bankruptcy, they should not be allowed to have kids. It's equivalent to child abuse in my head.

Stacy said...

Drat! I've been following the story and was HOPING she was married and that there was a dad in the picture somewhere who just hadn't been mentioned. I can understand the living with parents if they're going through a tough time or to save on expenses (the house I saw in an article looked pretty big).
Most ethical fertility places nowadays won't implant more than 3 embryos because of the risks of higher order multiples. I too wonder what possessed her to seek fertility treatments when she already had 6 children.

Mashel said...

Julie, this story has been bothering me too. And the house is not big. They said on the news that it is a 3 bedroom home, for her, her parents and all 14 kids. It also said that her 6 kids that she already has range in age from 2-7! That is young! It's not like she has 6 kids but four are already teenagers or something (not that that would be right either) It also said that the 6 kids only consists of one set of twins, so she has been pregnant for most of the last 7 years! An interview with a neighbor said that she used fertility treatments to concieve all of her kids, but why would she and a doctor inplant 8 babies into someone who isn't married and has 6 kids already! It is ridiculous. I saw the grandfather interviewed (her dad that she lives with) and he said that he was going home to his native country of Iraq to do some contracting work to try to support his wife, daughter and 14 grandkids! Crazy!

Steve & Sarabeth said...

I'm kind of always one to give the benefit of the doubt, especially when I don't have all the details. What if she only intended on having one or two more, but then ended up with 8 embryos...would we rather she only "kept 2" and killed the other 6? I'm not saying I would love to be in her position, but you're right...there's a lot of gray here. Where do we draw the line on the many issues involved here?

Just thinking about the other side of things:) Not necessarily disagreeing with everyone. Like I said, I'm just usually one to consider the underdog's position. Definitely stuff to think about!

Julie said...

I totally agree with you Sarabeth which is why I said that my opinion is based only on the info at hand and that I hoped there was other more positive information to be had. Still, even only two more babies, in my opinion, is too many when you are an unmarried mother of six already who is living with your parents.

Jeremy and Laura Lebow said...

Maybe she's like "John and Kate plus 8" and, yeah, only meant to have one more. I'm not sure how I feel about getting to use someone else's sperm, though, if she was, in fact divorced as of last January, when she already has 6 kids in a small house. Sheesh. Hopefully, someone doesn't lose their mind over there and do something to cause all 14 of them to be in Foster Care. Maybe we'll see some of them soon. :)

Martha said...

Disgusting! It's not normal. I LOVED being pregnant and having children, but to be "obsessed" with it, you must be a little physco...I sure hope she's good as RAISING them. I'd have more children in a heart beat, but I want to give the 2 I've been blessed with the best that I can. I'm letting God be in control, no fertility doctors in my life...

And I sure hope she or her mother can manage a job to take care of these children, but in reality sounds like she should consider giving them up for adoption!