A couple greeted their nine babies, five girls and four boys, who were also entered into the ɢᴜɪɴɴᴇss ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅs on May 4, 2021 and recently celebrated their first birthday.
A woman named ʜᴀʟᴍᴀ ᴄɪssᴇ gave birth to the babies in the 30th week of pregnancy, and although they are still under hospital observation, their father – ᴀʙᴅᴇʟᴋᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀʀʙʏ – says they are in excellent health.
The girls, ғᴀᴛᴏᴜᴍᴀ, ᴀᴅᴀᴍᴀ, ᴋᴀᴅɪᴅɪᴀ, ʜᴀᴡᴀ, and ᴏᴜᴍᴏᴜ, and their brothers, ᴏᴜᴍᴀʀ, ʙᴀʜ, ᴍᴏʜᴀᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴠɪ, and ᴇʟʜᴀᴅᴊɪ, feel great and develop and get stronger day by day.
Initially, doctors thought ʜᴀʟᴍᴀ ᴄɪssᴇ was going to have seven children, but two more were detected after she was admitted to the ᴀɪɴ ʙᴏʀᴊᴀ Clinic for specialist care.
” Fortunately, this did not deter us, as we have one of the largest neonatal resuscitation services in ᴍᴏʀᴏᴄᴄᴏ. Our team was ready to receive the children and we were able to handle them in the best conditions.”, according to Dr. ʏᴏᴜssᴇғ ᴀʟᴀᴏᴜɪ, a doctor at the hospital.
9 babies were joined on their first birthday party by big sister sᴏᴜᴅᴀ, 3, a complement of hardworking nurses and lots of cake and candles to be blown out.
Each was dressed in their finest, with boys ᴏᴜᴍᴀʀ, ᴇʟʜᴀᴅᴊɪ, ʙᴀʜ and ᴍᴏʜᴀᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴠɪ in baby tuxedos, and girls ᴀᴅᴀᴍᴀ, ᴏᴜᴍᴏᴜ, ʜᴀᴡᴀ, ᴋᴀᴅɪᴅɪᴀ, and ғᴀᴛᴏᴜᴍᴀ wearing baby dresses and tiaras for the occasion. Dad Abdelkader, a sailor in the Malian Navy, stayed in Mali during the birth to look after the couple’s three-year-old daughter, sᴏᴜᴅᴀ.
“All of them are getting on very well and are a joy to look after. Their favourite cartoon is Baby Shark, which is often the best way to keep the piece among them.”, Abdelkader said when he was reunited with his family in October 2021.
It was just a year ago that they emerged into this world from a fraught labour weighing between 1lb 2oz and 2lb 2oz and delivered by a squad of ten doctors, 25 paramedics and 18 nurses.
Arby spoke of the difficulties of looking after so many babies, pointing out that even just one is usually a challenge. He explained how each one has a unique personality, with some needing more attention, some needing to be held more and others more easily upset.
” Nothing could be better than the first year. We will remember these great moments we are going through.”, he added.
” Nine children are extremely ʀᴀʀᴇ, and until the birth of Cissé’s children, no case was recorded in which all nine babies sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ for more than a few hours,” the ɢᴜɪɴɴᴇss ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅs shows.
The development of the babies will continue to be monitored in the hospital and the family will be ready to celebrate every milestone in the children’s lives.
