In 1997, Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey of Iowa, U.S., became the first people in the world to have septuplets.
The birth of these special babies, who were born 9 weeks early, made headlines all over the world, and the new parents were inundated with requests for interviews.
They ended up going on the Oprah Winfrey Show for their first birthday, where they each got their own cake. They also got to meet Bill Clinton, who had been president before.
Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon, and Joel were the first septuplets to survive in the world. They kept their parents, who already had a daughter, very busy.
Obsev.com says that each day, the babies used an average of 52 diapers and 42 bottles of milk.
The Daily Mail says that the couple was given a 5,500-square-foot house, a van, a year’s worth of Kraft’s macaroni and cheese, diapers for the babies’ first two years, and full college scholarships to any Iowa state university.
Even though they had eight kids, their parents worked hard to cut costs as much as they could. One way they did this was by growing their own vegetables.
Alexis and Nathan, two of the septuplets, were both born with cerebral palsy and had to use walkers. Nathan had surgery on his back in 2005 to help him walk better. Since then, he has taught himself how to get around without a walker.
After high school, they all went to college. Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, and Joel all went to Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal, Missouri, on scholarships.
Kenny and Alexis decided to stay close to home and go to Des Moines Area Community College. Brandon joined the U.S. Army.
Siblings who graduated from college this spring say that college was the first time they really felt like they were on their own.
Kelsey said that going away to college has helped her five siblings grow because it’s the first time they’ve really been on their own.
Kelsey told the Herald-Whig, “When we were kids, we were always together.”
The Today Program
Kelsey said, “No matter what we did or where we went, we were always together.” She studied public relations in college and now wants to work in the media.
“I think being able to go to HLGU gave us the chance to be independent and show off our different skills. It also gave us the chance to learn more about what we want to learn and what we want to do for a living. We are more than just seven babies. We’re coming into our own.”
In 2015, older sister Mikayla got married, and when her son was born, the septuplets became aunts and uncles for the first time. In May 2019, Natalie was the first of the septuplets to get married, and her brother Brandon followed four months later.
Natalie told the Today show that she wants to go to graduate school to become a sports trainer.
Alexis studied education for young children and wants to work in a primary school. She has won many beauty contests for kids with special needs. In 2013, she won Teen Miss Dreams Made True.
Nathan and his brother Joel are both majoring in computer information systems. Joel wants to work for Google in the cyber security department one day, while Nathan likes putting computers together.
Natalie told Today that she and her six siblings are all the same age and that they are also her best friends. “We’re so happy to have each other as friends.”