- Chukwu octuplets
-
The Chukwu octuplets were the first set of octuplets live-born in the United States.
Contents
Family history
The six girls and two boys were born in December 1998 at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. Their parents — mother, Nkem Chukwu, then 27, and father, Iyke Louis Udobi, then 41 — were both Nigerian-born American citizens.[1] As both parents were of Igbo ancestry, the babies were named as follows:
- Chukwuebuka Nkemjika (Ebuka) - Girl, weighed 690 g (1lb 6 oz) at birth
- Chidinma Anulika (Chidi) - Girl, weighed 760 g (1lb 8 oz) at birth
- Chigecherem Nwabugwu (Echerem) - Girl, weighed 800 g (1lb 9 oz) at birth
- Chimaijem Otito (Chima) - Girl, weighed 730 g (1lb 7 oz) at birth
- Chijindu Chidera (Odera) - Girl, weighed 320 g (10 oz) at birth
- Chukwubuikem Maduabuchi (Ikem) - Boy, weighed 500 g (1lb 0 oz) at birth
- Chijioke Chinedum (Jioke) - Boy, weighed 810 g (1lb 10 oz) at birth
- Chinagorom Chidiebere (Gorom) - Girl, weighed 520 g (1lb 0 oz) at birth
The octuplets were conceived with the aid of fertility medication. All weighed under two pounds at the time of birth.[2] The first born, Ebuka, was delivered on December 8, 15 weeks premature. The remainder were born by Caesarean section on December 20, 13 weeks premature. The smallest of the octuplets, Odera, died on December 27, a week after birth.
In 2002, Nkem Chukwu gave birth to a daughter named Divine Favour, without the help of fertility medication. She is called "Favour" as Chukwu believed that God did such by giving her back the daughter she lost after the octuplets' births. Favour is usually seen in public dressed like her siblings forming the 8-member brood.
The children celebrated their 10th birthday in Houston on December 20, 2008, in the company of volunteers who helped in their early years. The five girls and two boys are reported to be "normal, active and bright fourth-graders."[2]
Media appearances
On January 27, 2009, Nkem Chukwu and her husband Iyke Louis Udobi appeared for the first time in 10 years on national TV on ABC's Good Morning America in a pre-recorded segment where they commented on the birth of the new Suleman octuplets. The next day, January 28, 2009, the whole family along with grandmother Janet Chukwu appeared on NBC's The Today Show[3] which was the first time the octuplets appeared on national television since their first birthdays. Later that day they were whisked to the Associated Press (AP) World Headquarters for a TV interview for the world newswires. On Monday February 2, they also appeared on the Larry King Live show in a segment titled "Octuplet Outrage" focusing on the worldwide coverage generated by Nadya Suleman's 14 children, and the ethical and medical controversy.[4] On February 9, 2009, Nkem and Iyke Chukwu appeared on Radio One's talk show The Mo'Nique show.[5] They also appeared Sunday February 15, 2009 on a local TV segment on KHOU-TV, Houston, Texas on a family update.[6] They also appeared on CNN's AC360 on February 18, 2009. Nkem Chukwu addressed the issue of the Nadya Suleman controversy with Randi Kaye of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 show on February 18, 2009.[7]
On February 2, 2009, Nkem Chukwu's released a statement. The statement read:
- In light of the Bellflower mom, Nadya Suleman's story, I spoke on The Today Show[3]
When asked, her husband Iyke Louis Udobi stated in their recent AP interview that "if you can take care of one, you can take care of eight".[8]
World tour
The Chukwu octuplets will be embarking on a world tour themed "Promoting Healthy Families." The tour begins Summer of 2009 after the octuplet kids take their summer break. They plan to visit TV talk shows and health clinics; their mother Nkem plans to visit prenatal and postnatal clinics as a speaker; the children plan to visit summer camps and hold supermarket tour seminars on how to shop groceries for large families. The tour will extend into the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the parents' native Nigeria. They are currently seeking sponsors through their marketing team and planning to make the world a healthy place to be. They plan to wrap up the tour with a visit to Buckingham Palace and The White House sometime in 2009. Nkem Chukwu elaborated on NBC's The Today Show on January 28, 2009 on the need to bring up healthy families even during a recession.[3] Meanwhile Nkem Chukwu continues to educate families with health tips, news of the day, quotes and other multiple family news.[9] On March 18, 2009, in their latest interview with the Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches, Texas, Octuplet father Iyke Louis and his wife said that they never thought they would have so many children, but that God brought them the gift, and now they are looking to share it with the world. Several projects are in the works for the Chukwus, including a book, magazine deals and even a possible documentary.[10]
References
- ^ "Mother of the Octuplets Goes Home to Recover", by Rick Lyman, New York Times, December 31, 1998; retrieved January 10, 2008
- ^ a b "Houston octuplets celebrate 10th birthday", by Jennifer Leahy, from the Houston Chronicle website, December 20, 2008, retrieved February 2, 2009
- ^ a b c "Houston octuplets visit The Today Show", by Michael Inbar, from The Today Show website, January 28, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2009
- ^ "Chukwu Octuplets visit Larry King Live"
- ^ "Chukwu Octuplets parents on the Mo'Nique radio show" February 9, 2009, retrieved February 10, 2009
- ^ "Houston Octuplets weigh in on California multiples", by KHOU-TV, Houston from the KHOU-TV website, February 16, 2009, retrieved February 18, 2009
- ^ "Growing up as Octuplets", by CNN-TV's Anderson Cooper 360, from the AC360 blog, February 18, 2009, retrieved February 18, 2009
- ^ "Houston Octuplet dad tells AP parents who can take care of one baby can do the same with 8!", by Bonny Goach, from Associated Press TV website, January 28, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2009
- ^ "Official Chukwu Octuplets Website", by Joomia, March 9, 2008, retrieved March 18, 2009
- ^ "Daily Sentinel Nacogdoches", by Trent Jacobs, March 18, 2008, retrieved April 4, 2009
External links
Categories:- 1998 births
- Multiple births
- American children
- American people of Nigerian descent
- American people of Igbo descent
- People from Houston, Texas
- Living people
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
