Names:
Girls: Chukwuebuka Nkemjika (Ebuka), Chidinma Anulika (Chidi), Chinecherem Nwabugwu (Echerem), Chimaijem Otto (Chima), Chinagorom Chidiebere (Gorom)
Boys: Chukwubuikem Maduabuchi (Ikem), Chijioke Chinedum (Jioke)
Deceased Girl: Chijindu Chidera (Odera)
Birthdate:
December 8, 1998 and December 20, 1998
Hometown:
Houston, Texas
Birth Info:
One of the girls, Ebuka, was delivered naturally on December 8, 1998, fifteen weeks early. The remaining seven were delivered by cesarean section at about 9:00 a.m. on December 20, 1998.
Family Info:
Nkem Chukwu was in her late twenties at the time of the babies' birth and her husband Iyke Louis Udobi was 41. The family is of Nigerian heritage.
More Info:
The smallest girl, Odera, died a week after birth due to heart and lung failure. She weighed merely 10.3 ounces at birth. Combined, the eight babies only weighed about ten pounds, and ranged in weight from 10 ounces to 1 pound, 11 ounces. The multiples were conceived with the aid of fertility enhancing drugs and Mrs. Chukwu refused to consider selective reduction because of her spiritual beliefs.
Updates :
The family has remained relatively private. A
2008 update about their tenth birthday describes how their grandmother, Janet Chukwu, helped care for them, setting up feeding assembly lines when they were younger, color coding their clothing during the week, and leading them in prayer twice a day. The family welcomed another child in 2002, a girl named Favor.
