Two items today just add to the fire:
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A big share of the financial burden of raising Nadya Suleman's 14 children could fall on the shoulders of California's taxpayers, compounding the public furor in a state already billions of dollars in the red.
Even before the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother gave birth to octuplets last month, she had been caring for her six other children with the help of $490 a month in food stamps, plus Social Security disability payments for three of the youngsters. The public aid will almost certainly be increased with the new additions to her family.
Also, the hospital where the octuplets are expected to spend seven to 12 weeks has requested reimbursement from Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, for care of the premature babies, according to the Los Angeles Times. The cost has not been disclosed.
Word of the public assistance has stoked the furor over Suleman's decision to have so many children by having embryos implanted in her womb.
"It appears that, in the case of the Suleman family, raising 14 children takes not simply a village but the combined resources of the county, state and federal governments," Los Angeles Times columnist Tim Rutten wrote in Wednesday's paper. He called Suleman's story "grotesque."
According to one report I read she is receiving about $2,900 a month in State and Federal aid for her first six kids.
Apparently the furor has gotten to the point where octomom has felt it necessary to go into hiding:
LOS ANGELES -- The mother of octuplets has taken her six older children and gone into hiding, according to reports.There's certainly no excuse for death threats and the like, but I can understand why people would not want to reward her behavior. Her PR flack isn't making things any better. When I heard her say "if everyone who's mad about this would just give one dollar, just one dollar, think how much better the lives of those children would be" I almost threw my shoe at the TV.
The 33-year-old mother lives with her children at her parents home in Whittier.
But her publicist says she has moved to an “undisclosed location” because of death threats and hateful phone calls and emails.
Earlier, Suleman went public with a new Web site,.... dedicated to her newborn brood of eight.
The website invites visitors to "meet the octuplets" as well as to donate items, send wishes to the family and even give money directly using a credit card or PayPal.
I've heard it said that one theory about this lady's strange obsession with children is that she wants to be Angelina Jolie. She's apparently tried to look like her, and with children all over the place, wants to be like her. She just left out one important part - the part about being a fabulously wealthy international movie star married to Brad Pitt.
My wife has another theory. One of her favorite shows is "Jon & Kate Plus 8", the story of the Pennsylvania couple that had twin girls followed three years later by sextuplets. This family never sought fame, but fame found them and their family has become a TV hit for several years. I have to admit I rather enjoy watching them too (the kids are cute as can be, even when they're melting down). I'm not sure I could live 10 minutes with Kate, but Jon makes it work and they're a wonderfully close family.
My wife wonders if octomom thought this multiple birth would earn her the kind of fame and attention Jon & Kate Gosselin have enjoyed. Perhaps she'd be the next TLC star family, getting all sorts of free trips and exciting adventures.
It's not going to happen.
This lady may well find herself completely alone with her kids and no support structure other than government aid. I don't see a promising future for those kids.
This story isn't a miracle, it's a tragedy.
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