Detailed article-Mother of 8: witness cared for autistic son-mom said she was paid to have babies

[sohndrsmith]

Octuplet mother has child specialty degree
By Tracy Garcia and Sandra T. Molina Staff Writers
Posted: 01/30/2009 10:55:55 PM PST
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_11595972

WHITTIER - The mother of the octuplets born at Kaiser Permanente's Bellflower Medical Center is a college graduate with a degree in child and adolescent development, college officials said Friday.

Nadya Suleman, believed to be a 33-year-old single mother who lives with her parents, Angela and Ed, graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2006, according to college spokeswoman Paula Selleck. She returned as a master's of science in counseling graduate student in fall 2006 and was last enrolled in spring 2008.

On Friday, seven of eight octuplets, delivered Monday, were breathing on their own. The eighth was receiving oxygen through a nose tube. Hospital officials said Suleman is recovering well.

When the awe of Suleman's delivery lessened, some seemed to frown upon the fact that Suleman already had six children before this pregnancy.

"The sad thing is that the kids are going to pay the price for the adult's decisions," said neighbor Audrey Longstreth, 43. "I mean, I have my hands full with my kids - and I only have three."

The family's finances were also questioned.

Angela Suleman filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy March24, 2008. She listed an address in the 15900 block of El Soneto Drive in Whittier and not the 13600 block of Sunrise Drive where they now live.

According to her petition, the debts are primarily personal.

Records listed her total assets at $1.1 million and that she owes $984,426.30 to creditors. She reported a median family income of $61,742 and listed a household size of two.

Her creditors include the Internal Revenue Service, Whittier Hospital, East Valley Emergency in Pomona, Verizon California Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, Countrywide Home Loans Inc. in Costa Mesa, the Franchise Tax Board in Sacramento, IndyMac in Phoenix, IndyMac Bank F.S.B in San Diego and Toyota Motor Credit in Thousand Oaks.

The case was dismissed May13, 2008 after Angela Suleman failed to appear at a May 5, 2008 meeting of creditors in Los Angeles and because she didn't make all the required "preconfirmation payments."

Her bankruptcy case was closed July 22, 2008.

Angela's attorney in the bankruptcy, Shakeal Masoud, couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

Meanwhile, many onlookers speculated about whether Nadya Suleman took fertility drugs.

But Suleman's mother, Angela, told reporters Friday that her daughter was not taking fertility drugs.

"They implanted much less than eight embryos, but they multiplied," she said.

Angela Suleman also said as much to a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous: "She said there were six babies, then it turned out to be seven, and then some of them split and they didn't know there was eight until it was being taken out."

That falls in line with comments made by family acquaintance Yolanda Garcia, 49, of Whittier, who said she provided respite care twice for Suleman's autistic son three years ago.

"From what I could tell back then, she was pretty happy with herself, saying she liked having kids and she wanted 12 kids in all," Garcia said.

"Three years ago, she told me that all of her kids were through in vitro, and I said 'Gosh, how can you afford that and go to school at the same time?"' she added. "And she said it's because she got paid for it."

Garcia said she didn't ask for any more details at the time. But she now says she's appalled because, "We as taxpayers are going to pay for these children."

For the most part, the family has released few details about the octuplet birth, saying only in a prepared statement that they will "share additional details about this miraculous experience," in their own time.

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According to an article in the Daily News, an inquest is being performed to investigate the situation...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/01/30/2009-01-30_doctors_face_inquest_after_california_oc.html

[spinbaby]

1. I seem to remember...

...an insurance scam in which doctors pay patients to have unnecessary treatments in order to collect the insurance payment.

[ima_sinnic]

2. & now that autistic child and his five previous siblings will get virtually no care at all

unless neighbors and charities are willing to give up their time and energy for this deadbeat.

How can someone who makes 60K/yr have assets worth >1 million?

This woman is a true parasite. She didn't even show up for her bankruptcy hearing, so she doesn't care who she rips off.

Just include her in the bailout, she is a corporation unto herself: Tax Deductions R Us.

[auburngrad82]

7. Which brings up a question

With six kids, why did she list the household size as two on the bankruptsy form?

Do you think the six kids are in foster care?

If so, what the hell is she doing having more kids, anyway?

[shrike]

15. The grandmother declared bankruptcy, not the octuplets' mother

But this also begs the question why grandma would list a household of two.

[terisan]

11. How can Congressmen making under $200000 per year have assets of multi millions?

Lots of people with $60000 annual income have assets greater than this.

[ima_sinnic]

12. Congress people have, er, "other" sources of income

they are also often quite a bit older than 30-something, so they've had time to amass more.

are you saying she's paid by lobbyists? she gets undeclared bonuses and perks from somebody?

[terisan]

14. I am suggesting that a person's assets and income often diverge and one

cannot assume that a person with $60,000 in income would not have assets of 1 million or more .

[cali]

3. This is beginning to sound more and more like a bizarre case of

medical experimentation on a deranged woman.

[eilen]

4. There are women that just keep having babies

the state takes them away because they are unfit so they keep getting pregnant. I used to see it on our pediatric floor-- the babies would be admitted for "failure to thrive". We'd feed them, they'd gain weight, and DSS would step in. If they returned again for the same thing, they would lose the kid. So they keep having more. However, this is an exaggerated case. She is nuts. I am not an expert at fertility drugs, but -- is it possible to overuse them to have results like this? She could repopulate Detroit.

[Fire1]

5. It is confirmed (as far as I'm concerned,) she is crazy. Mother

of this woman says, "she has been obsessed with having children since she was a teen-ager," according to msnbc. Not married, ALL 14 children conceived via IVF, filed for bankruptcy. Ok, I don't care if she has a degree in nuclear physics, this chick is certifiable.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. "she got paid for it" - who pays people to have children?

It's bizarre.

[Inspired]

10. She's probably hoping for a TLC contract like those wackos with 18 kids have.

[Deja Q]

8. Wow. That redefines the concept of "slot machine"...

:hide:

[JeffreyWilliamson]

9. The story that keeps on giving...

I'd be somewhat curious why the grandmother owes debts to Whittier Hospital and East Valley Emergency in Pomona. Possibly linked to kids?

[LisaL]

13. What is being reported boggles my mind.

Six children through IVF, apparently one autistic, history of bankruptcy in the family, not married, but still wants more? Can you all imagine how much it cost to have 8 kids in once? The medical bills alone are going to be through the roof.

[TwilightGardener]

16. "Paid" to be implanted? This story gets more sordid as the days pass.

[kskiska]

17. Grandfather is a Palestinian & the sperm donor asked her to stop using sperm

According to the NY Daily News article:

Suleman's father Ed, a Palestinian immigrant who hails from Jerusalem, brought bags of cookies and diapers into the family's three-bedroom house yesterday. He said the eight new bundles of joy were "God's wish," and added, "I have no idea what to do with God."

(snip)

According to one neighbor, Suleman used the same sperm donor for all 14 kids. The donor was an acquaintance, who after getting married recently, asked her no longer to use his sperm, a neighbor said. "But she did it anyway," the neighbor said.