Halima Cisse, 26, of Mali, gave birth to nine infants in May at the AinBorja clinic in Casablanca, Morocco, shattering the previous world record of “Octomum” Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to eight children who survived the IVF process in 2009. Halima Cisse, 35, and her husband, Kader Arby, 35, got the surprise of a lifetime when they discovered they were expecting high-order multiples.
At first, the couple was told they were having seven children, and physicians cautioned them that none of the children would survive. Cisse had traveled to Morocco for better medical care and realized she was pregnant with nine infants just minutes before her May 5 birthday. “It was a complete shock when I found out I was having nine children because I thought it was going to be seven,” Cisse remarked. Many questions sprang in my thoughts as the infants were going to be born. My sister grabbed my hand, but all I could think about was how I was going to care for them and who would aid me.”
Due to C.ovid-19 travel limitations, Cisse was hospitalized at 25 weeks pregnant with her sister Aisha, while her husband Kader Arby stayed at their home in Timbuktu, Mali. And the medical team in charge of her care was able to postpone her delivery by up to 30 weeks. The premature birth involved ten doctors and 25 medical personnel. Four boys (Mohammed, Bah, El Hadji, and Oumar) and five sisters (Hawa, Adama, Fatouma, Oumou, and Kadidia) weighed between 1 and 2 pounds at birth. All of them remain in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Cisse has stated that she is still recovering from a traumatic pregnancy and delivery. Her tummy alone weighed nearly 65 pounds, and the difficult C-Section, which resulted in a lot of blood loss, had left her fragile. “Having one child is difficult, but having nine is unthinkable,” Cisse added. It’s amazing how much labor goes into caring for them. I am grateful to the m.edical team for their hard work, as well as the Mali government for sponsoring this.”
Currently, babies are fed every two hours and drink six liters of formula per day while wearing 100 diapers that are changed every two hours. Every three hours, they are also checked. The care price for the babies has so far totaled £1 million, which is being funded by the Milian Government. In Timbuktu, Mali, the couple has a three-bedroom residence. Arby served in the Malian navy as a sailor. Parenting ten children is difficult, but for the time being, Arby says he’s focused on doing well for his wife and nine new family members.
“This is a wonderful gift that God has given us,” he stated. There will be a lot of work to do in the future, but for now, we’re simply concerned with taking care of the infants and getting them home. My main concern is not the size of my house, the number of rooms we have, or the cost, but rather the safety of my wife and children.”
