Suleman, Nadya “Octomom”

Known throughout the United States as the “Octomom,” Nadya Suleman came to international attention after delivering octuplets. Early news of her pregnancy and delivery was heralded as a medical miracle. Soon, however, fierce public outrage surfaced and ethical debates began when it was discovered that Suleman already had six children and was unmarried, unemployed and receiving public assistance.

Suleman was born in California as an only child to parents Edward and Angela Doud. She married young and soon separated from her husband after being unable to conceive a child. While working as a technician in a psychiatric hospital, Suleman saved her money, often working double shifts, to pay for expensive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. During a riot at the hospital, Suleman was hurt and suffered a lower-back injury. She received disability payments for the sustained injury, which she also used to finance her IVF treatments.

In 2001, she received her first IVF treatment from Dr. Michael Kamrava and gave birth to her first child. Between 2002 and 2006 she had five more children through in vitro fertilization, including a set of twins, for a total of six children. In 2008, she had her final IVF treatment, hoping for one more child. She was implanted with her final six embryos and each survived, with two splitting into twins, for a total of eight children. All 14 of Suleman's children share the same donor, a friend who remains unnamed. Upon learning that Dr. Kamrava knowingly implanted more than the recommended number of embryos with full knowledge of Suleman's situation, many in the medical community called for an investigation into his practice and tougher IVF laws.

The controversy surrounding Suleman's decision to continue having children was heightened by her television appearances. She stated that her longing for a large family was to fill a void she felt in her own life. Much of the public has decried her decision as selfish, considering one of her children has autism, she was receiving federal food stamps and the student loan money she was using to supplement her income had ended. Suleman has defended her decision to intentionally become a single mother to a large brood, often stating that children are gifts from God and her remaining embryos deserved a chance at life. She intends to continue pursuing her master's degree in psychology and viewed receiving food stamps as a temporary resource. She continued to assert that she is a loving mother to her children and would be able to provide for them emotionally and eventually financially.

Suleman was offered and accepted a reality television contract, produced by European production company Eyeworks. American networks were hesitant to produce the show due to her damaged public image. While Suleman has been demonized in mainstream American media, there also have been calls to help her and celebrate the miracle of the octuplets’ birth, as they are the longest surviving octuplets in the world. She has received help from her family, community, and church, and she accepts donations on behalf of the children via her Website.

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