In 1997, Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey from Iowa welcomed the world’s first surviving septuplets—Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon, and Joel—born nine weeks prematurely. Their birth made global headlines, and the family appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show for the babies’ first birthday, where they also met President Bill Clinton.
The septuplets, along with their older sister Mikayla, kept their parents busy—using about 52 diapers and 42 bottles a day. The family received generous donations, including a large home, a van, two years’ worth of diapers, a year’s supply of Kraft macaroni and cheese, and college scholarships for any Iowa state university. To save costs, the McCaugheys also grew their own vegetables.
Two of the septuplets, Alexis and Nathan, were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. After back surgery in 2005, Nathan learned to walk without a walker. All seven graduated high school and attended college: Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, and Joel went to Hannibal-LaGrange University; Kenny and Alexis studied at Des Moines Area Community College; and Brandon joined the U.S. Army.
The siblings said college gave them their first taste of independence. “We’re not just the seven septuplets—we’re becoming our own people,” Kelsey shared.
Mikayla married in 2015 and made the septuplets aunts and uncles. Natalie married in 2019, followed by Brandon. Natalie now aims for graduate school as an athletic trainer. Alexis, who studied early childhood education and won multiple special-needs beauty pageants, hopes to teach in an elementary school. Nathan and Joel major in computer information systems—Joel dreams of working in cybersecurity at Google.
“Having six siblings the same age means we’re not just family, we’re best friends,” Natalie told Today.
