Miracle of the 1990s: The Bizarre Journey of the McCohugh Septuplets

It was a miracle for a woman in the 1990s to give birth to septuplets. Take a look at how these siblings are doing now.

It’s always a surprise when doctors tell you that you’re going to have twins. The husband dreams of making more money, while the wife worries that she will soon have even less free time. Imagine how happy Bobbie McCohugh was when she found out right away that she was expecting seven babies instead of just one. They came from a Baptist family.

The Iowa court system was home to Bobby and Kenny McCohugh for a big part of their lives. The hardworking couple worked long hours during the week because they wanted to buy a house as soon as possible. They regularly went to a Baptist church event on the weekends. They were blessed with a daughter named Mikayla in January 1996.

It was decided before Mikayla was born that they would have three or even four kids. The doctors told Bobby, though, that it might not be possible.

Bobby began taking medicine, and soon after, she became pregnant again. During the first ultrasound, the amazing fact that there were seven embryos at the same time was shown. The doctors warned that it was unlikely that they would make it to term. In any case, Kenny, Nathan, Brandon, and Joel, four boys, and Alexis, Natalie, and Kelsey, three girls, were born on November 17, 1997.


The whole country learned about this amazing event. Congratulations messages came in from all over the country, from regular people to famous people. This time, even the former president sent his best wishes for the young family. The happy parents of the septuplets were in the news and on the front pages of newspapers.

There was a lot of chaos in the McCohugh home. Kenny McCohugh made kitchen furniture and was also a deacon in a quiet Baptist neighborhood on the weekends. He had to go to work even though his wife needed help with the kids.

In the end, though, family, neighbors, and especially volunteers came to help. It was planned that someone would clean the house, someone else would feed the kids, and someone else would purchase food.

A 500-square-meter house and a minivan were given to the young family by kind donors. They would get diapers, clothes, and babysitting for two years, with some of the costs covered. The Iowa government confirmed that the kids would get a monthly stipend when they started going to a public college.