Monday, February 9, 2009

More On The Octuplets

There are more videos released on Ann Curry's interviews with Nadya Suleman. I am not going to embed them but you can go here to view them.

Also there is an article released today that Ann Curry mentions at the end of her segment on Radar Online. The article is an exclusive interview with the Angela Suleman, Nadya's mother and is titled "Grandma Blasts Octuplet Mom: Nadya's Not Capable." There are also exclusive pictures of the inside of the house that the family lives in and pictures of the other children.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I felt sorry for the grandmother. It must be so hard to see your child making decisions that you don't agree with, but if she turns her back on her daughter she will also be turning her back on the grandchildren. Yet, if she feels the grandchildren are suffering and not getting the care they deserve I guess she has to step in and do the right thing, even if that means they lose the children. I'm glad I'm not in her shoes because I don't know how I would react. I wouldn't want to lose my grandchildren, and I wouldn't want to hurt my daughter but I hope I would feel compelled to act in the best interest of the children no matter how much I was made to suffer. How tragic for her. As for the whole debate on having this many kids, I don't know where I stand. I guess it would depend on each individual's circumstances. But that doesn't really matter either. In the United States no one has the right to tell a woman what to do with her body, so I guess the debate will rage on.
And as for reading that no one is stepping in to offer help or freebies, in my opinion, that is more serving to hurt the newborns rather than send a message to the mother or society as a whole.

Anonymous said...

I just hope in the end, the kids get the care and attention they need.

Kikibee said...

This is such a sad situation. She can't bring 8 premature babies into that home. And even if she does get her "$2 million" she doesn't seem capable of managing it.

If they take the kids from her they won't be raised together. Even if they divide them into 2 groups, how many people would take on 6 kids,with one being autistic, let alone 8 babies? She'll have a hard time finding anyone to sympathize with her if they do take them.

Unknown said...

I can only believe that Children's Services will be following her children closely.

What is best for all the children needs to be done. If that means taking the children away from her, then so be it. She obviously isn't taking care of the one's she has. It is sickening that she will be bringing the 8 home to such squalor.

Her grandmother seems like a nice woman, but an enabler.

I think Nadia is not well.

MommyZinger said...

It is sickening that she will be bringing the 8 home to such squalor.

I think "squalor" is a bit of an exaggeration. I saw a messy house. There are six kids living there. I think it is too much to expect the house to be tidy. Hell, I only have three kids and I am sure there is food on some wall somewhere.

I just hope people can get over their judgements of this mother and remember that eight babies need to be cared for.

lulubae said...

I really want to say something about this but I just don't know what or how. There are so many bells and whistles going off in my head when I see/read anything about this situation. I have such mixed feelings about it all.

In the end I hope what is best for the children is done, as it is by no fault of their own that they entered this world. I can't help but feel that to some degree they will definitely suffer.

Ann said...

The Gosselin kids really are blessed to have two parents and a nurse for a mother. Her story about the first few months of the sextuplets' lives at home opened my eyes to the advantage of having a knowledgable parent who could advocate for the best care possible for them. I hope the octuplets get good care like the Gosselins did.

themrs said...

this whole thing is very disturbing to me. i can't help but wonder if children's services will get involved.

Abby said...

I want to know how she can expect people to help her when this situation was COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE! It bothers me that she feels as though she's entitled to bring 14 children into the world when she doesn't have the means to care for them.

Anonymous said...

What a grandmother! I don't see how speaking to the media helps her grandkids. If she thinks the grandkids are suffering, then there are other actions to take instead of going to a tabloid. I wonder how much she got paid for that exclusive.

It is sad that those children don't have a better support system available to them. I hope it works out for all 14 of them.

Samantha@IW said...

I completely understand the grandmother's feelings BUT- a tabloid? That's highly questionable to me.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little confused...how did Nadya Suleman give an interview last week if she's still hospitalized? I read the article (it popped up on my email news reel) this morning, and it mentioned Nadya being hospitalized with the 8. Maybe it was a misprint, but that struck me as weird, and I wondered if anyone else noticed that.

I agree with OP that the children shouldn't suffer, but I hope that anyone who donates to the family gives baby items (diapers, formula, etc.). Their mom has shown that she doesn't have very good judgment, so I don't think she needs to be on the receiving end of a large sum of money that she can use as she pleases.

Another question: does anyone know why her husband isn't the father of her children? An article I read about her intervies said she stated that she was married from 1996 until 2008, and the oldest child is only 7. Hmm..curiouser and curiouser...

Quiltart said...

Saint said...
The Gosselin kids really are blessed to have two parents and a nurse for a mother. Her story about the first few months of the sextuplets' lives at home opened my eyes to the advantage of having a knowledgable parent who could advocate for the best care possible for them. I hope the octuplets get good care like the Gosselins did.

I couldn't agree more. The care that the Jon and Kate gave their babies is greatly evident. It's too bad that some are already blaming them for planting the idea of a mega-family in Nadya's head.

Unknown said...

Mommy Zinger,

Did you see the photos of the inside of the home? The reporter stated it was filthy with food on the walls. Maybe that doesn't sound like squalor to you, but it did to me.

Sad, sad situation.

merryway said...

I have no idea what is going to happen to those children. The mom seems crazy as a loon and THAT doctor!!! I hope there are repercussions for him.
There's not room enough in the house for the ones who are living there. The clothes are all over because there's no place to put them. I am so disgusted with the companies who are not giving. This is not a “we don't negotiate with hostages” situation. These are innocent little souls. Their lives are no less miraculous than the others that came before. What was there basis for helping all those other newborns? The magic formula changed? Oh, they disgust me to no end. Shame on them.

scarfoot79 said...

I'm sorry, I'm about to make some sweeping judgments here, and I pray to God that I am wrong.

After watching those videos, I am now convinced, more than ever, that Nadya is a very disturbed woman. Sure, she is well spoken, but something just isn't right.

As for the Grandmother on the tabloids, I have a very strong gut feeling that there is more to it than this. First of all, I am sympathetic to the grandmother who is in between a rock and a hard place. But the fact that she is willing to go on television, insult her daughter, and show off her house feels to me as if she is campaigning for something else. I kind of feel like she's trying to paint this even worse than it is, in hopes of getting something. Maybe she is doing that because she genuinely needs help, but that is just how I am feeling about it. I can understand not knowing what to do, I can understand being frustrated, I can understand many aspects of the grandmother's story - I do not understand going on record with the public stating that your daughter is unfit, and that she gives you no money.

I may be completely off base. That is just what my gut feeling was as I read the grandmother's story. The entire situation is so sad it is painful to even read about.

Unknown said...

Merryway,

I get what you are saying about the companies not making offers...but I think they probably view this a little differently and may not want to associate themselves with her. I have a feeling more negative will arise as this story continues.

Maybe it is at a point where companies are already tightening their belts and it does seem somewhat expected that if you have HOM that free stuff is part of the deal.

Is that right? I guess there is a precedant of some sorts that freebies are expected...

I would rather see all the money used to better our schools, Head Start Programs, CHIP, etc...for existing children then provide care for 8 preemies and aftercare.
(of course now that they are here, I am not suggesting that care stop)

but maybe Nadia is the one who will make companies, fertility docs, etc...stop and rethink the entire situation.

I also think if I were Kate's PR people, she should distance herself and her story as far as possible from this kook.

Anonymous said...

Scarfoot,
I have to agree with you on this one. Something doesn't sit well with this Grandmother and the way she is going about things. She seems to be her Daughters worse enemy right now. I do believe that she is concerned, but the way she is going about this whole thing is very strange.
The house looks a mess, but I didn't see roaches crawling everywhere and I didn't see complete filth. Maybe she will use her 2 million and get a descent home, but I have to wonder if she is mentally up for this challenge.

Anonymous said...

I think for the average person a huge media swarm is a "insert word here" event to be a part of. The grandmother might have felt pressured or otherwise with people hounding her, who knows?

scarfoot79 said...

You are absolutely right, CincyMom. I did think about many things during the grandmother's interview. What questions did they ask her? How was this edited? Regardless, some of sounded very harsh and very odd to me.

My suspicion is that we are viewing a family that is unstable and has some issues. But on the other hand, what family doesn't have issues?

I do wish them the best, and sincerely hope my feeling about the grandmother is incorrect (I have no problem admitting if I was wrong!). I hate to see any family torn apart, or belittling of specific family members.

Guinevere said...

I don't think the grandmother is particularly covering herself with glory here. I'm sure it's a hard situation but I don't see her as handling it in an ideal way, at least so far.

I want to know how she can expect people to help her when this situation was COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE! It bothers me that she feels as though she's entitled to bring 14 children into the world when she doesn't have the means to care for them.


From her interview, it sounds more like she has unrealistic expectations about her ability to care for her kids. I don't think she's quite right in the head. The kids shouldn't be made to suffer just because some people are angry about the mother's irresponsibility.

MoreCowbell said...

Here is another revelation about Octuplet Mom. Despite telling Ann Curry that she is "not on welfare," she actually IS.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490269,00.html

But, once again, in her delusional mind, doesn't consider receiving $490 a month in food stamps and also receiving federal assistance because three of the older six kids are considered disabled, as "welfare." They're just "payments made for people with legitimate needs and are not, in her view, welfare."

Okaaaay. This woman seems to hang herself every time she opens her mouth. She's a couple fries short of a Happy Meal, that's for sure.

Guinevere said...

But, once again, in her delusional mind, doesn't consider receiving $490 a month in food stamps and also receiving federal assistance because three of the older six kids are considered disabled, as "welfare." They're just "payments made for people with legitimate needs and are not, in her view, welfare."

Well, to be fair, I'm not sure I'd consider federal aid for the disabled kids "welfare". Food stamps I would consider welfare, though $490 for all of those kids doesn't seem like that much (disclaimer: I'll admit I have no idea what an average monthly food stamp stipend is; I just know that the family is probably spending a lot more than $490 a month to feed all of those kids).

I'm not arguing the conclusion that she's delusional - ITA with that. I just don't really care that much about the financial aspect of it - I'm a California taxpayer and I don't exactly think I'm going to notice the difference if I'm paying for all 14 of the kids, the original six, or none.

MoreCowbell said...

What really stands out int hat article for me though, is the doctor's reaction. When a reporter asked him a question, his answer was "watch the news." Seems like his interview is for sale as well? It gives me a really bad feeling. There's a little voice in the back of my head saying, "Could they have done this on purpose for the free goodies and publicity?" I mean, the Mom even said that she had six embryos implanted EACH TIME. That's just crazy.

Anonymous said...

According to this article, this is what Suleman told Ann Curry:

"During the interview with Curry, Suleman said, "I'm not receiving help from the government. I'm not trying to expect anything from anybody. I just wanted to do it on my own."

The PR firm's attempt at spinning Nadya's opinion of the payments she's been receiving as really not welfare is disengenuous at least. She's on record saying she doesn't receive "government" assistance, but SSI and food stamps are government programs. She knows SSI and food stamps are provided by the government, so to state she's not receiving help from the government is not a difference of opinion about the definition of welfare, she flat out lied.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29110391/?gt1=43001

MoreCowbell said...

Saw this comment online about the situation;

When we adopted our dog from a shelter 5 years ago, we apparently had to go through more hoops than Nadya had to go through to get 6 embryos implanted.

To adopt our dog, we had to:

a) provide proof that our home could accommodate her (eg, fenced-in yard, plenty of room to run/play)
b) explain our experience in owning/caring for a dog
c) provide references who could vouch for our ability to take care of a dog
d) verify that we understood the financial responsibilities of taking care of a dog.

If Nadya had to go through a similar background check, it would reveal that:
a) her home could not accommodate the 6 children she already had, let alone 8 more
b) ?? (don't know her parenting skills to date)
c) her mother would say she could in no way handle 8 more
d) she doesn't have the financial means to care for 14 children.

Kind of crazy that we live in a world where more consideration is given to the future home of a rescue dog than that of 8 poor helpless babies.


Uh, yeah, that. I volunteer at a no kill shelter. There's a 48 hour wait at our shelter, plus a vet and yard check, too.

Ann said...

What really stands out int hat article for me though, is the doctor's reaction.

I agree. Also: some fertility specialists consider this doctor to be a "controversial" figure in the field. What the heck could that mean?

Thanks for the link, MCB.

Kuromi said...

Scarfoot & Kinley: I was wondering if Grandma was trying to defend herself after Nadya blamed her need for three basketball teams' worth of kids on her parents. Nadya talked about dysfunction and, of course, it would be her parents' fault that they only had her and no other children. If I were Grandma/Grandpa, I'd probably be mad about being thrown under a bus on national TV after years of supporting a jobless daughter, including buying her a house that she later had forclosed. Of course, maybe her parents were indeed terrible in the past, and have been trying to make up for giving Nadya a bad childhood by overcompensating and enabling their adult daughter--and then felt angry that she still brought up family dysfunction.

As for the doctor, three things make me think he had ulterior motives: (1) Even before Nadya's other children became known, during the brief warm fuzzy period of this tale, I read an accusation that the fertility specialist had tried to reach a world record by creating the octuplets. (2) In 2006 the doctor was subject of a local news report, that featured Nadya of all people as a satisfied customer. It seemed like they had ready-made footage that they pitched to local news organizations until a station picked it up as a happy feature story. (3) His "watch the news" teaser.

It seems like this doctor wants publicity--any publicity, good or bad--for his clinic. I read a news report that his success rate was lower than the national average, despite that magic stick he invented. So if he gets just one desperate customer who thinks "Well, he did get that crazy lady pregnant so he can help me," it might be worth all the bad PR and risk of health to mom and babies. Just my opinion.

Kikibee said...

So, three of her older kids are disabled? That means some of the octs could have issues aside from the prematurity? Did she not care what kind of lives her children will have?

I think Grandma just wants someone to step in and do something. She knows better than anyone what kind of mess her daughter is.
She and her ex-husband tried to
persuade the doctor not to help her have any more kids. I guess she didn't want to abandon her grandkids,but she isn't prepared to take care of them indefinitely, let alone add 8 more to the mix.

I wonder how long it will be before her publicist quits? Looks like there might be a lot of things coming out that will be difficult to explain.

Lizzy said...

http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/

Discuss.

I have no idea what to think....

Kuromi said...

Lizabeth, I'm guessing that's the site mentioned on eithe Today or Dateline...

That's totally the PR people's work. I highly doubt her family did anything except say, "Whatever you think is best." And despite all the backlash and controversy, I'm sure there are lots of people who--like many on this site--think that the kids still deserve help since it's not their fault how they were born.

Plus, you KNOW people are dying to send their (mostly nasty) comments directly to Nadya. This is a way to gauge just how many, and how hateful, they are--and then plan a marketing strategy to overcome them.

But like you, I don't know what to think either. If, say, her church had posted something on their site, that would be one thing. Even a humble site with a "wish list" of basics that the kids need (diapers, formula powder of choice, baby soap, etc.) would have been more acceptable.But having a slick cutesy site that solicits only money ... Well, it only bolsters critics who say Nadya is in it for the fame and fortune to be made off her kids.

Unknown said...

Lizabeth,

I am off putted by the website....it reminds me of the Gosselin's and what she may be wanting....it disturbs me.

And why should she get to solicit donations is beyond me.

Very frustrating.