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Nadya Suleman

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Nadya Suleman
Born
Nadya Denise Doud

1975 (age 33)
Fullerton, California
Known forSuleman Octuplets
SpouseMarcos Gutierrez (1996–2000)
ChildrenFour daughters, ten sons

Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman Gutierrez, known as Octomom in the media, is an American woman who came to international attention when she gave birth to octuplets in January 2009.[1][2] The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States and, one week after their birth, surpassed the previous worldwide survival rate for a complete set of octuplets set by the Chukwu octuplets in 1998. The circumstances of their high order multiple birth have led to controversy in the field of assisted reproductive technology as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved.[3] Public reaction turned negative when it was discovered that the single mother already had six other young children at home at the time and was not financially independent.

Suleman, who was unemployed and on public assistance programs at the time, conceived the octuplets and her six older children via in-vitro fertilization (IVF).[4]

Early life and education

Suleman was born in 1975 in either Bellflower or Fullerton, California [5] (depending on sources) as the only child of Edward and Angela Doud. Her parents married in Las Vegas in 1974, and divorced in 1999.[6][7]

She held a psychiatric technician license, and worked as a psychiatric technician at Metropolitan State Hospital, where her back was injured while at work. She filed a worker's compensation claim in 1999 while working at the hospital, and again filed another claim in 2001 with the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and over the course of time, received approximately $167,000 in benefits.[8] She attended California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and received a Bachelor of Science degree in child and adolescent development in 2006. Suleman returned to CSUF to pursue a master's degree in counseling, leaving the program in 2008.[9]

Marriage and divorce

Nadya married Marcos Gutierrez in 1996. According to Gutierrez, they separated in 2000 because they could not conceive children together. Gutierrez filed for divorce in November 2006 and the divorce was finalized in January 2008.[10] Despite their divorce, in an interview with People Weekly, he spoke highly of her and expressed that he wishes her the best.[11]

Children

Nadya Suleman began IVF treatments in 2001 from Doctor Michael Kamrava. In each of her six pregnancies she was implanted with six embryos.[12] The treatments resulted in four single births and one fraternal twin birth, with four boys and two girls born between 2001 and 2006.[13]

Octuplets

Main article: Suleman octuplets

Suleman has stated that in 2008 she had six embryos left over from her previous in-vitro fertilization treatments. She requested that all of the remaining embryos be implanted despite the norm for a woman her age being two or three implanted at the most.[3] Part of her reasoning for attempting a sixth pregnancy was so that the frozen embryos would not be destroyed. The six remaining embryos were implanted and two of the embryos split into twins, resulting in a total of eight embryos. Her health and gestational status were followed from her first trimester. Five fetuses were evident after just one month and when offered the option of selective reduction, Suleman declined.[14]

News of the octuplets caused an international media frenzy.[15] Public response was largely negative and even included death threats.[16] There has been much public discussion about Suleman's decision to have the octuplets, including a minor protest outside the Suleman home.[17] Many expressed concern that Suleman's decision for more children would burden taxpayers via public support.[18][19][20]

As of March 2009, Suleman lives elsewhere,[21] and there was concern the octuplets would not be released from the hospital with Suleman expressing concern about losing custody of them.[22] However, as of April 14, 2009, all of the children are home, although public outrage has not subsided. In the early morning hours of April 1, the day she would bring the seventh octuplet home, vandals threw a baby seat through the back window of her Toyota minivan.[23][24][25]

Public profile

With the 2009 birth Suleman captured the public eye and by the end of January the media began referring to her as "Octomom". Suleman hired the Killeen Furtney Group as her initial public relations company, with Wes Yoder providing a small amount of pro bono advice. Both groups soon ended their involvement after receiving death threats.[26] Her next spokesman was Victor Munoz,[27] who quit on March 6, 2009.[28]

On February 5, 2009, Nadya Suleman granted a television interview to NBC's Ann Curry. Suleman rejected suggestions that her decisions have been selfish or that she may not be able to care for her children, stating "I know I'll be able to afford them when I'm done with my schooling. If I were just sitting down, watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered to a certainly degree selfish". She added that she felt society is unfairly judging her because she is a single mother and plans to get by with the help of family, friends, and her church.[29]

In February 2009, Vivid Entertainment made Suleman a $1 million (US) offer to star in a pornographic movie.[30] Suleman has declined their offer.[31]

On March 25, 2009, Suleman and Gloria Allred appeared together on the Dr. Phil Show. Allred had a list of criticisms regarding Suleman's performance as mother and homemaker.[32]

On April 16, 2009, Suleman revealed she has struck a deal for a reality TV show in the UK, though the Hollywood Reporter said some U.S. networks are reluctant to pick up the show. [33] Suleman signed an agreement with the Los Angeles Superior Court on July 24 to have each of her children earn $250 a day to star in a reality show that is to start filming on September 1.[34]

On August 10, 2009, Fox announced a two-hour special entitled, "Octo-Mom: The Incredible Unseen Footage", which aired on August 19.[35]

Extended family

Before knowledge of the octuplets became public, Suleman had been living with her six older children and mother in a small three-bedroom house in Whittier, California. Property records show the Suleman house in mortgage default, scheduled to be sold at auction in May 2009.[36] Suleman's parents filed for bankruptcy in 2008, citing nearly $1 million in liabilities.[37]

Suleman's father, 67-year-old Edward Doud Suleman,[38] identifies himself as a former Iraqi military man and says he is returning to his native Iraq as a translator and driver in order to financially support his daughter and her fourteen children.[39] Suleman's mother, 69-year-old Angela Victoria Suleman, a retired teacher, has helped to look after the first six children. She has indicated that she is overwhelmed looking after them, and has been critical of her daughter in her earlier public statements.[40]

See also

Suleman octuplets

References

  1. ^ Octuplets' mom: 'I'm not being selfish', MSNBC.com, February 11, 2009
  2. ^ Nadya Suleman High School Yearbook Picture
  3. ^ a b Octuplets' mom says she had 6 embryos implanted, Associated Press, February 6, 2009
  4. ^ Egg on his face: Fertility Doc ripped by Octomom's Dad New York Post, February 11, 2009
  5. ^ Curry, Ann (2009-02-10). "Her side of the story". Dateline NBC. Retrieved 2009-03-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  6. ^ Tracy Connor (02/05/2009). "Octuplet mom Nadya Suleman released from hospital - to what kind of future?". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-03-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ 'All I wanted was children', Telegraph.co.uk, February 7, 2009.
  8. ^ Michels, Scott (2009-02-05). "Octuplet Mom Filed Workers Compensation Claims". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  9. ^ "Octuplets' mom was hoping for 'just one more girl,' grandmother says". Los Angeles Times. 2009-01-31.
  10. ^ Powers, Lindsay (TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2009). "Octuplet Mom's Ex: We Split Because We Couldn't Have Kids" (HTML). usmagazine.com. Us Weekly. Retrieved 2009-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Dodd, Johnny (Tuesday March 03, 2009). "Octuplets' Mom's Ex: Those Aren't My Kids" (HTML). people.com. People Weekly. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Medical society probes octuplets’ conception, MSNBC, February 10, 2009
  13. ^ Octuplet mom driven by lonely childhood, babies' grandmother says, New York Daily News, February 3, 2009
  14. ^ The Octuplet Mom Speaks, and the Questions Grow February 7, 2009
  15. ^ Veil about to be lifted on octuplets' mystery mom, Associated Press, February 5, 2009
  16. ^ Threats send California octuplets mom into hiding Reuters, February 11, 2009
  17. ^ Octuplets' birth spawns outrage from public, Los Angeles Times, February 7, 2009
  18. ^ Yoshino, Kimi (2009-02-11). "Octuplets could be costly for taxpayers". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-03-08. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ MOHAJER, SHAYA TAYEFE (2009-02-11). "Taxpayers may have to cover octuplet mom's costs". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  20. ^ Bryant, Carleton (2009-02-11). "Report: Octuplets likely to cost taxpayers millions". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  21. ^ I wanted a huge family to make up for my lonely childhood: Mother of octuplets speaks for the first time MailOnline February 7, 2009
  22. ^ Hospital may not release octuplets to mom February 25, 2009
  23. ^ "Octo Mom Brings Seventh Baby Home from Hospital". omg! news on Yahoo!. April 1, 2009.
  24. ^ "One to Go: Octo-Mom's 7th Baby Home". NBC San Diego. April 2, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  25. ^ "Octomom's van smashed with baby seat". The Daily Breeze.
  26. ^ Publicists for octuplets' mother quit over death threats, Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2009
  27. ^ California octuplets mom passes on offer of 24-hour nursing care, The Canadian Press, February 28, 2009
  28. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=7034980&page=1
  29. ^ Octuplets' mom: 'All I ever wanted', CNN, February 6, 2009
  30. ^ "Octomom Gets $1 Million Porn Offer From Vivid Entertainment". Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  31. ^ Octomom Nadya Suleman nixes porn offer – for her 14 kids' sake Retrieved on 2009-03-17.
  32. ^ Suleman, Allred, nurses wage war of words KABC, March 25, 2009
  33. ^ Octomom reality show reports; some networks reluctant The Live Feed
  34. ^ "Nadya Suleman and octuplets to star in reality show". The Times of London. 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  35. ^ "Fox to air two-hour 'Octomom' special". MSNBC. August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ Records: Home of octuplets' grandmother in default, Associated Press, February 18, 2009
  37. ^ Octuplets' Family Has Bankruptcy History, ABC News, January 30, 2009
  38. ^ "Questions over octuplets". The Sun. 2009-01-31.
  39. ^ Octuplets' Family Filed For Bankruptcy, CBS News, January 30, 2009
  40. ^ Octuplet Grandma Calls Daughter 'Unconscionable', ABC News, February 9, 2009
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