The Eyes of the World on Des Moines
The entire world held its breath waiting for the delivery of the babies in Des Moines. The pregnancy had already captured worldwide attention, and it gained recognition not only because it represented the advancements made in the fertility treatments, but also because it was a high-risk event and everybody wanted to see how the seven babies would fare.
DES MOINES, UNITED STATES: US President George W. Bush greets five of the Bobbi & Kenny McCaughey 4-yr-old septuplets as he meets the family when he landed at Des Moines International Airport shortly before going to the Iowa State Fairgrounds 14 August, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa.. AFP PHOTO/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
After the septuplets were born, they attracted even more media attention than the pregnancy. They were featured in Time magazine in December 1997, just a month after they were born. The president of America at the time, Bill Clinton, personally called to wish the family well. As the children grew, the media remained interested in them, and they continued to appear in magazines and at various events, with Oprah welcoming them on her show, and President George W Bush meeting them at the Des Moines International Airport in Iowa in 2002.