Family in octuplets case had financial woes

The family of octuplets born in Southern California this week has a history of financial problems, including a bankruptcy, tax liens and a foreclosure, according to court records.

The 33-year-old Whittier woman, who has not been publicly identified, gave birth to the octuplets at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower on Monday and already has six young children, including a set of twins, said her mother, Angela Suleman.

She lives with her parents in a 1,550-square-foot home in Whittier, where television trucks and camera crew continued to roam the quiet cul-de-sac Friday. This afternoon, the children's grandfather returned to the home with four toddlers and did not speak to the throng of media, other than to ask for privacy.

Last March, Suleman filed bankruptcy, claiming nearly $1 million in liabilities — mostly because of a bad house investment, her attorney said. Countrywide Home Loans approved a $492,000 mortgage for Suleman in 2006 for a second home she bought in Whittier for $615,000. In 2008, the bank began foreclosure procedures. The house was sold in August for $369,375.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, Suleman said her daughter did not expect to have octuplets, but that all the implanted embryos "happened to take."

She acknowledge that supporting a family with 14 children would be difficult, but that her daughter felt like she had little choice.

"What do you suggest she should have done?" Suleman said. "She refused to have them killed."

To help support the family, the woman's father works in Iraq as a contractor, where he earns at least $100,000 annually.

Fertility experts, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, have raised concerns about the number of embryos implanted and whether it was within medical guidelines.

"I cannot see circumstances where any reasonable physician would transfer eight embryos into a woman under the age of 35 under any circumstance," said Arthur Wisot, a fertility doctor in Redondo Beach. "I cannot imagine that any of the mainstream practices in the Los Angeles area were involved in this. I would guess — and it's a pure guess — that she either went out of the country or went to a practice that flies below the radar."

The California Medical Board, which investigates doctors, and the California Department of Public Health Services, which licenses clinics and hospitals, said no doctors or facilities are currently being investigated regarding the births. A spokesman for the state health agency said there is no indication the implantations occurred at a facility they license.

--Kimi Yoshino and Jessica Garrison

Comments

[Elise]

And what is the best way to deal with financial problems? Have more children! That fixes everything, obviously. They are all complete morons. All of them.

[Richard]

This is the most criminal act in life.!!! you bring babies in this world and have no nessary means of support for them. the mother says she feels she would be killing them babies by eliminating them inside her. what is she thinking she doing more harm now. No money.costly medical bills maybe intentive care for brain damage if any, and maybe doing this because she knows she can get gifts and wic and welfare money because she is not going to work now since she has to say home to care for all those kids. People like these and those who have kids who have to depend on a hand out from welfare should not have babies. It is a cycle that needs to be stoped. Welfare was not intended for everyone it was only to be for women who husbads are over seas fighting. look it up and you will be angry.

[Beth]

Can anyone in the news room find out who paid for the womans fertilization procedures....Was it paid for by the bankrupt parents....the woman...someone else??? and if so....Who....and more importantly....WHY?? This is a very expensive procedure and it doesn't appear that they would have had the wherewithal to pay for it themselves.

[Tombo2]

I'd like to know how a person on welfare can afford infertility treatments. Think of the medical bils the taxpayer is liable for and now 8 more people will be on the welfare rolls. The doctor who do this should have their license to practice medicine taken away and the mother should have to pay all medical bills even if it takes her 50 years to pay them off. I wouldn't be suprised if she did this with the intent of becoming rich and famous from the stunt. It's disgusting and you and I have to pay for it.

[cody mccall]

I'm trying to make some sense of this and the more I find out the crazier it gets. An apparently unmarried female who already has a half dozen young children decides to enlist the help of a fertility clinic to get pregnant--again? Six kids? Fertility clinic? Huh? Why? How fertile do you have to be? Isn't six kids ENOUGH? And now she ends up with EIGHT MORE! Let's see, six kids plus another eight kids . . . FOURTEEN! Of course, with little income she was buying not one but TWO homes for more than a half-million EACH. Ooops! Not enough money to pay the mortgages? Huh, who would've guessed THAT. And six kids is not enough so let's buzz on down to the fertility clinic to guarantee yet another pregnancy--as if she needed any help! I mean, puh-leeze, this is just insane irresponsibility. What motivates a rational person to do this? And Lord help those FOURTEEN kids. I cannot imagine the trials they are going to face. It would be interesting if some enterprising reporter would check back in a year or so to see if this fecund female is yet again--PREGNANT. I wouldn't be surprised.

[Zoey]

What I don't understand is why a woman with six young children already needs to have another child and undergoes a fertility implant. What is wrong with these people? Having babies is not an answer to anything that's wrong with your life. Who's going to be responsible for all these children should something happen to her parents, or herself, god forbid? What is wrong with people in this society?

[SP Woman]

'"What do you suggest she should have done?" Suleman said.'

How about NOT even have fertility treatment in the first place when the woman already has 6 kids? And has already foreclosed on a house (apparently right before getting the fertility treatments)? Now the rest of us will have to pay taxes to support this woman who is way over her head, and in over her head without the fertility treatments. Even getting fertility treatment for having one more child was not necessary when she already has 6. That is just irresponsible of both her AND the medical group that did this.

[RJSUSC111]

This article is very distasteful. Despite the mother's wishes for privacy, the author of this article (as well as other members of the media) have gone ahead and announced the financial history of this patient. I smell a lawsuit ahead, LAT. This is a shameful act.

[John]

This is terribly unethical from a medical standpoint, and almost seems like it should be illegal. Questions:

Why did this bankrupt woman with 6 children who is living at her parents' house want more children?

How did it come to be that this doctor disregarded his professional duties and society guidelines to provide this aggressive level of treatment when she is only 33 and already has 6 kids?

How did a bankrupt woman manage to pay for fertility treatments and artificial insemination?

What is this all going to cost us as taxpayers? I doubt the hospital bills will be paid, and that is only the beginning...

[Baby Tax Me]

Divide the number 14 by the number of Californians, say 40,000,000(40 Million): You get this equation: 14/40,000,000 = X.

X = the dollar amount per CA resident that we can now deduct from our tax forms for 2009.

x = $00.00000035 - WHAT A COUNTRY ! I can't wait to get my refund for my new baby dedcution !

Congrats to all Kalifornyans !

[Totally Sickened]

As more details come out about this woman I am becoming more andmore disgusted with this woman.

This is just plain selfishness and irresponsibility. She obviously needed money and here was a way to get it.

Sick

[cinderella]

this woman has a sick need for attention (like people with Munchausen Syndrome)--just like that wacko jesus-freak woman who's had 18 kids and still plans on having more. this one probably is counting on TLC to come knocking to do a similar show. ugh. where's the baby-daddy? her own father has to support them while the entire litter lives in his house? she can't even provide for the six she already had and she wanted more? all the kids are going to be in need of serious therapy when they grow up.

[Charles Katz]

REALLY you have 6 kids and you feel the need the create more, thats just what California needs right now. 14 kids and your 33. Have you ever heard of Birth control. Now I suspect that she will be applying for state assistance so the tax payers can feed her 14 children. This is criminal!!!!!!!

[karen]

This irrresponsible behavior makes me sick. It is one thing to have children if you can afford them. Six children, the parents and her parents living in 1500 sq ft?Animals by law are given more living space. Who paid for all these doctors, nurses, months at the hospital before and after? And what doctor is involved here? Is is a way to get out of debt?

Maybe we should just wait for PEOPLE magazine to find out.

[JD]

This is...perfect. This article was lifted from The Onion, right? The family is precisely what 98% of us imagined it would be--in our worst nightmares. Bankruptcies, implanted embryos for a mother six, etc, fantastic.

Long live the welfare state!

[kgk]

I think it is disgusting that an unmarried woman with six children to feed, no home of her own, and no discernable source of income would seek the implantation of any embryos...much less eight. It is equally disgusting and should be illegal that a doctor implanted the embryos into this woman. The state of California is going to have to commit one part time social worker just to oversee this family. These people clearly do not have the resources or the proper sense of responsibility/judgment (bankruptcy, foreclosure, creating children in the absence of a stable family situation) to raise these babies without serious state intervention. Someone better keep an eye out that these people haven't arrived at the idea of human trafficking as a money making venture.

[TIM]

I AM HAPPY TO SEE MY TAX DOLLARS USED TO SUPPORT THIS IDIOTCRACY.

[gwatts]

I am trying to do this math - she filed for bankruptcy in March of '07 - before she had eight embryos implanted. What did she pay for it (a not inexpensive procedure) with? And she already six living children and is living with mom and dad? Where and who is the sperm donor? I notice there is no mention of that lucky guy. What reputable fertility practice would perform such an operation given this set of circumstances. Where are the ethicists in all this?

[Wilma]

Why in the world would any SANE woman with 6 children under the age of 7, including a set of twins, want to have additional children unless it were for financial gain, welfare perhaps? Especially considering the financial status of her family, I am sure she is not gainfully employed. Not to mention that there is no 'father' to help in raising the children or support them. I would bet that the expenses are being paid by the good citizens of Caifornia and that the bill will be in the millions. Considering the financial situation, the cutbacks, layoff's, etc. how this woman could have done this is unbelievable. She is being selfish, there is no other way to describe it. Can you imagine her parents? At their age, her father having to go to Iraq to work inorder to support her and the children! Good grief!!! If I worked and lived in California I would be outraged! I am sure the woman is counting on political correctness to avoid criticism and I am sure she is counting on the financial assistance of Caifornia's citizens and the kindness of others. I hope CPS gets involved! They need to.

[maggie]

Although it is none of my business how many children a particular person may choose to have, bringing 14 children into the world without a father and the financial means to support them becomes my business. The woman lives in our state. The kids will take up 14 seats in our already crowded classrooms. Preemies and mutiple-birth children suffer more ailments than other children, including autism. This means special education and health care in our state. Her delivery alone is calculated at over $800,000. Who is Kaiser billing for that? This woman needs to contact a reality show producer and get something lined up pronto before she is tarred and feathered by folks in California who are not the least bit amused by her irresponsibility.

[Maricarmen]

So are we suppose to feel sorry for her now? Why would she want to get pregnant again when she already has 6 kids?? (Hellooooo) All this time I thought these 8 kids were her first......No wonder she wanted privacy. After these breaking news, the reporters and tv stations should ignore this lady and leave. She has no repect for Enough is enough......

[jenny35]

the reason she wanted so many children is for the money.

she knew people would be donating everything she will probablly be getting a fully furnished brand new house a van she will have so many donations not to mention diapers food cash

wow and just think how much her welfare check is gonna be each month !!!! including food stamps (when they begin food)for 14 kids itll be over 5 k a MONTH

she is playing up to the sympathies of kind people and she knows that she will end up being set for life

then theres the book deal magazines television the tv movie exc.. exc..
and in the meantime these poor babies will not get the individual one on one attention that each child needs and deserves

this is why the welfare system needs to have a cutoff if you are on welfare no more kids!
she should not qualify for more financial assistance
this was not an accidental pregnancy.

maybe then she will have them adopted to familys where they can get the proper attention love and

2 women just cannot care for 14 children under the age of 7 theres no way they will get the interaction that is so important

[Laura]

I really doubt that she has any true wish for privacy, maybe just until he can package the family prettily for its reality show a la "Jon and Kate".

[Kathryn]

What kind of vindictive reporter are you to go and dig up records like this. It's none of your, or anyone's business what financial problems they had in the past and it has NOTHING to do with this woman refusing to kill her unborn babies to please society. Futhermore we have NO REASON to believe they are on welfare or public assistance of any kind. For Godsake's the father works in Iraq - half way around the globe in a war zone, putting his life in danger every single day.

GET A LIFE and report on things that MATTER instead of speding your time digging up private citizens' pesonal and embarassing past histories. I've been following this story and in every article I've read it's maintained that THIS FAMILY HAS NOT ASKED FOR ANYTHING but to be left alone and YOU have gone to these dispicable lengths to drag them into the public eye and hold them up to ridicule. SHAME ON YOU and shame on the LA TIMES for publicizing this worthless crap.

If you have a problem with fertility treatments then by all mean, report on the countless number of embryos created and then frozen or destroyed, the barbaric practice of "selective reduction" (a nicer way of saying "selective abortion"), but for Godsakes leave this family who is doing their very best to care for all their children ALONE.

Killing human lives through "selective reduction" is no differnt than abortion or any form of murder. You do not know the medical history of this woman, what treatment she was on or why.

[ElaineMeinelSupkis]

This is an attempt at getting both attention and money. I fear this fecund female wants everyone to donate cars, houses, baby stuff, appear in TV shows like that crazy show about a mega-family. People are inspired by TV and want their 15 minutes of fame.

In this case, 15 minutes of SHAME. I grew up in a very large family. Nearly everyone in my family grew up hating each other and few even talk and at my mother's funeral, my father did it secretly with only two brothers present out of a very large extended family and then scattered her ashes and disappeared, himself.

This woman is 10 times worse! A single mother? I raised several children and believe me, that was more than enough. I think this woman, who lied to the banks, should be investigated and then put in jail for fraud. She couldn't hold her 2 houses for even one year?

She is directly responsible for her little bit of the mortgage crisis. She helped wreck America and now wants us to babysit her and her immense brood. This is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

Well, like so many people who wanted to be in the news, she will now be in the news...in a very negative way and she deserves every minute of being investigated.