The LA Times reports following.
"And look what happened. Octuplets. Dear God," Angela Suleman said four days after her 33-year-old daughter became the second person in the U.S. ever to
give birth to eight babies at once.Suleman stressed that her daughter "is not evil, but she is obsessed with children. She loves children, she is very good with children, but obviously she overdid herself."Angela Suleman said all the children are from the same sperm donor, but she did not identify him. Her daughter is divorced, but Suleman said the ex-husband was not the father."
My first question is what sort of income does this woman have. As a father I know first hand just how much money is required to try and support a family. Providing for 14 is going to take an enormous amount of cash.
And let's not forget that they aren't exactly spaced. How do you take care of 8 infants. You cannot do it by yourself, it is impossible. Even splitting the work between a mother and a father would be exceptionally taxing.
But let's say that she is a billionaire and that money isn't a problem. I would be very concerned with the mother's ability to spend time with her children. She is going to be pulled in so many different directions someone is going to miss out. Someone is not going to get as much love from their mother as they deserve.
I'd like to know more about the screening process for the procedure she went under. Don't they have responsibility here to look at each candidate and qualify them. I know that sounds bad and in theory everyone should have access to the tools and resources they need to become a parent. But the reality is that not everyone should be a parent and even the greatest parent has limits.
Someone dropped the ball on this one.
7 comments:
My opinion is that short of neglect or abuse (of which there is no evidence here), parents should pretty much have the freedom to reproduce and raise their children the way they wish, and that while we are entitled to our own choices and opinions about other people's families, it's best to just let them alone, as long as their actions, of course, don't directly affect us, or unless there is DIRECT evidence that intervention is necessary.
with all the publicity things like product endorsements, interviews and oprah will keep 'em going...
If this woman is financially able to take care of her 14 children then we all need to back off and leave her alone. However, if she expects the State to take care of them then I have a real problem with her irresponsible behavior.
Did the doctor know that she has 6 children before he agreed to give her the IVF? Who paid for the IVF?
I once spoke with a pregnant mother of 5 children. I expressed concern as to how she would manage to take care of so many children. She told me that she gets Government support and it was better economically for her to stay home and make babies than go out and find a job. I remember at the time feeling so angry because I worked long hours to support my family and would never expect help from the State.
This woman needs to step forward and assure the country that she will be taking care of these children without our help.
Last I heard, this woman lives with her parents who have already declared bankruptcy. While I agree that she will probably get some money from endorsements, media attention and quite possibly her own reality show, I still find it irresponsible to bring that many children into a single parent household. I agree with this blogger that it will be next to impossible to give all 14 children the attention they need at all times.
I read today that ALL of the children were conceived via in vitro fertilization; and that the woman lives with her mother, who feels guilt because she knows her daughter needs help managing all the children. But the grandmother said she will not be there when the mother gets home from the hospital. (We'll see...) Since in vitro is an incredibly expensive endeavor, one wonders where this single mother obtained the funds, since she was most recently a college student. I too find the doctors involved in this situation to have questionable ethics. And frankly, it's EVERYONE'S business when others decide that it is their "right" to overpopulate the planet, thereby consuming more resources than they should. I find this woman's behavior to be unbelievably selfish. Whatever happened to Zero Population Growth??
Irina,
In concept I agree with you. I don't like meddling in people's lives. But there are some incredibly important issues here that deserve to be reviewed.
Financial and emotional issues are critical. Just clothing and feeding six kids is a lot. That doesn't cover education or any sort of extracurricular activities. It doesn't discuss the challenges of trying to find a home that is large enough to comfortably raise six kids, let alone 14.
But let's say that finances are not an issue. There is still an incredible load to be carried in providing for a child's mental and emotional well being. That is a challenge with six. Add another 8 and it gets to be impossible, especially when they are infants.
Sarah,
It will work for a while, but what happens if that dries up.
Anon,
I haven't seen anything that suggests she has the financial wherewithal to handle the load.
Will,
There are limits and I think she rolled right over them.
Zanne,
The whole situation stinks.
I would love to know how it is that a woman that already has 6 kids is allowed to have this elected surgery, when ppl that need surgery like my husband that has a broken neck ( 3x ACDF non-union) and is getting the shaft all because he has a smoker in the house..... It is ppl like her and millions around the world that have me sooo upset at the goverment and the doctors that will elect to give a person cosmedic surgery but for the millions that really need surgery it is no where to be found!!!!!!!
WHat happened to this country that a person that can die from a neck injury that the doctors have went and told him that he WILL DIE IF HE DOESN'T HAVE THE SURGERY but won't get off their a$$ to get it fixed...... This woman should be ashamed of herself, one for thinking that she can take care of 14 kids on her own and living with her parents not married and living off welfare...... YOU LADY ARE A DISGRACE........
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