Having a large family can be overwhelming for any parent, but what about seven babies born at the same time? That is precisely what happened to the McCaughey family 21 years ago. On November 19, 1997, Bobbi McCaughey made headlines when she delivered the world’s first surviving set of septuplets. The arrival of Alexis, Kenny Jr., Kelsey, Natalie, Brandon, Nathan, and Joel in Des Moines, Iowa, was heralded as a medical miracle.
The McCaughey turn 21 this year and are ready to take on the world. The seven siblings have already accomplished multiple milestones between them, such as going to college, being in the military, and paying their way. Their parents, Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, are now empty-nesters and have recently sold the seven-bedroom home the septuplets grew up to a Des Moines non-profit that provides support and housing to young mothers of unplanned pregnancies.
The Beginning of It All
In 1996, Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, a seamstress and car dealer worker from Carlisle, a town just outside of Des Moines, were the proud parents of daughter Mikayla Marie, who was born on January 3 that year. The pair had had difficulties conceiving because Bobbi has pituitary gland problems.
Source: stantondaily.com
According to the Pituitary Society, women with hypopituitarism have a hard time getting pregnant, and if they do, they need to be monitored closely. Fortunately, Mikayla Marie was born safely, and both she and her mother were thriving. The successful birth of their daughter convinced the couple to try to expand their family and give Mikayla a little brother or sister.