There was a young lady who lived in a shoe…
She had so many children she didnt know what to do. Thats what came to mind as I read a commentary on the woman who just gave birth to octuplets. Apparently, her story is, “all I ever wanted was children, thats all I ever wanted.” And her reason?
Suleman told Curry that it was “always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family, and I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up.”
What did she lack? “Feeling of self and identity,” Suleman, said. “I didn’t feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment. I felt powerless…It was pretty dysfunctional, and whose isn’t?”
Nadya’s own mother in fact has been helping her take care of the first 6 children she had (also the product of fertility treatments) and has ended up financially ruined because of it.
Suleman rejects the charge that she is reckless or irresponsible to have so many children without the means to support them. She said she had never gone on welfare; once she finishes her education, she told Curry, she’ll be able to support her family. “If I was 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 certain degree, selfish.” But the first to make the charge is her own mother who has had to support her. “Nadya promised to help me with the bills, but she never has,” she told RadarOnline. “I lost a house because of it and now I’m struggling to look after her six. We had to put in bunk beds, feed them in shifts and there’s children’s clothing piled all over the house.”
So…in an economic climate where folks everywhere are losing jobs, where services are being cut, how does she expect to take care of these kids? She claims she’s not on welfare, but she isnt married and her companion–the father of all 14 of her children– is in shock. She “hopes he will come around” and pitch in and help, but really…it doesnt take a crystal ball to see that at some point, taxpayers are going to pick up the tab. As TIME magazine points out,
at a time when everything is constricting and contracting and downsizing, her choices don’t match the moment. Who will be left paying for the vast expense associated with caring for eight low birth-weight babies, (estimated at more than $1.3 million dollars for delivery and hospitalization) or raising 14 of them? “The truth is Nadya’s not capable of raising 14 children,” her mother says.
No wonder she is the object of derision and ridicule. She wanted to remain anonymous, under the radar as it were, but really, was that realistic?
A quick search of stories on this topic shows that there is a LOT of anger over this woman’s decision to have more babies on top of the six she already couldnt afford to take care of. For example Eric Spillman writes on his blog
Sometimes people are so naive.
The woman who gave birth to octuplets somehow believed she could keep the details of her story and her identity a secret. She actually believed that!
As if the news media would just accept that and “respect her privacy.” As if we should.
As if somehow, some way, the information wouldn’t just leak out.
Note to Octo-mom: On big stories, there’s always some blabbermouth who will give you a scoop. Did she consider that her neighbors in Whittier might decide not to keep it a secret that she lived there? Did she think somebody didn’t notice that she already had 6 kids?
Well,somebody did and they told a reporter… and before you knew it, Camp Octo-mom was born. Photographers and reporters are keeping a vigil on her street, waiting for a chance to take pictures of her now massive family.
Now that everyone knows Octo-mom is a woman named Nadya Suleman, reporters are doing some research into her background.
And they’re finding out some interesting stuff.
The L.A. Times reports she’s filed for workers’ comp claims twice:
(She) filed for workers’ compensation in 1999 while employed as a psychiatric technician at Metropolitan State Hospital.
Details for the claim were not available. In 2001, Suleman filed a second claim with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board for “injury to neck, back and shoulders from auto accident on commute for medical treatment,” according to records filed with the California Department of Industrial Relations.
The records indicate that her actual earnings at the time of injury were “max,” but no specific dollar amount was provided. Suleman received treatment for the injuries that were covered by her employer or insurance company, records show.
The claim was filed, records stated, because of a disagreement regarding liability for: temporary disability indemnity, permanent disability indemnity, reimbursement for medical expense, medical treatment, compensation at proper rate and rehabilitation. Additional records show that on Sept. 25, 2008, a petition was filed to compel Suleman to attend a medical exam with “petition to terminate liability for temporary disability indemnity.”
Many have suggested that she’d parlay this into a reality tv show, a suggestion that apparently is not far off the mark. Suleman has reportedly kicked around the idea of a show on child rearing and is poised to “sell” her story to Oprah or Good Morning America:
Extreme mom Nadya Suleman, who had six kids before opting to have eight more, reportedly wants to sit down with Oprah Winfrey and parlay her labors into becoming a child-care expert on TV.
The Times of London reported yesterday the 33-year-old hyperparent wants to make $2 million by selling her interview rights – preferably to Winfrey and “Good Morning America’s” Diane Sawyer.
Ultimately, she wants to be a TV talking head, dispensing advice on child-care issues, the newspaper reported.
I know I wont be watching any show about her OR her babies. I personally am disgusted by a woman so selfish that she would have 8 more children KNOWING she cant take care of the 6 she already has. She has caused her own parents to have to file for bankruptcy, she cant support her children and probably never will be able to, without the help of others. She chose to remain unmarried (in itself not a bad thing, but why have 14 illegitimate children?)
Im a big supporter of a woman’s right to choose, but I know that I would have chosen differently in her shoes. Its one thing to want to be a mom, but she’s more of a DEN MOTHER. She claimed she didnt have any identity growing up, what does she think her 14 kids are gonna have?
Its ALL Blarney!! 
Even when extremely details her personality, it gives an insight at what she is passing throught, hope the kids grow up in a healthy environment!
Ive read more stuff that says she IS on welfare, but that she doesnt consider it welfare, she calls it aid for disabled or somesuch. She apparently receives foodstamps (YES VIRGINIA, THAT IS WELFARE) and probably ssi payments as well (which is a type of federal welfare)
If you ask ME, that gal has some serious issues dealing with reality, and for her to think that its gonna be any easier for 14 children to have indivicual identities, especially when 6 share the same birthday and 8 share another birthday!!! She’s a real piece of work alright….
oh yeah, one more thing: she makes comments that seem to find fault with her OWN childhood yet there’s her mom, stepping up and helping her take care of the kids, to the point where she had to file for bankruptcy for crying out loud!!! After reading quite a lot of material on this woman, Ive pretty much decided she has no credibility, and all her trumped up reasons amount to a hill of beans IMO.