March 2, 2009 1:24 PM
Octomom Nadya Suleman says no to help for babies, yes to publicity
From Growing Your Baby:
Nadya Suleman Turns Down Offer For Free Home and Nursing Care
While it is being widely reported that Nadya Suleman, the California mother of octuplets born last month is not receiving offers for free products and care, it may seem that this isn't true. She is just being picky as to which ones she accepts...
The founder of a nonprofit nurses' group says that the busy mom allowed an offer of free, 24-hour care for the infants and six older children to lapse.
Linda Conforti-West, founder of Angels in Waiting, said today that Nadya Suleman appeared to lose interest in the group's proposal when she was told last week that a reality show and a biweekly press conference on the babies' condition was out of the question due to their fragile immune systems.
Angels in Waiting's offer, which included a new home, expired Thursday at midnight.
Suleman's publicist could not be immediately reached for comment.
Angels in Waiting specializes in care of premature babies.
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Comments
This woman is mentally ill, and I fear for her and those children. I also sympathize with the parents. I don't think she wants anyone overseeing how she is living and how she is caring for those babies as it would then be "game over" for her motherhood days. I have a very bad feeling that she has not been caring for her children and is not capable of doing so.
I hope that all offers are in terms of help and not cash, as those kids need the care. My prayers are for those babies and children.
Posted by: Cath Young | March 2, 2009 1:31 PM
Barbara, I don't know the specifics of what was offered, but I do know that Angels in Waiting provides foster care by registered nurses, and later adoption.
Is it possible that the offer was for these nurses to take custody of her children?
If so, I can see why she would pass.
Posted by: Lauren | March 2, 2009 2:17 PM
These nurses were volunteering to provide a home for Nadya and her family and to provide 24/7 professional care for the babies.
There were no hints of foster care or adoption about the offer - only the nix on reality TV being part of the mix, which was not in keeping with Nadya's use of the babies to bring attention to herself.
Does this sound mean? Frankly, with her demonstrated disregard for the welfar of her children, I don't think that this woman deserves any benefit of a doubt. Her before and after pictures/obsession with Angelina Jolie, coupled with her passion for self-promotion, ingratitude toward her parents (did you see her contempt towards her mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M1oXq-C2cE) whose support of Nadya and her first six children cost them everything they had (their home is in foreclosure) - show that she is not a fit mother.
Gushing about how much she loves her 14 fatherless children under 7 may be enough for some to deem her a "loving mother," but I am not convinced at all. People can love a litter of puppies but that does not mean they have what it takes to be loving parents of human beings.
I was called on the carpet by a couple of readers for my original cynicism about Nadya, but what has been revealed since only confirms my first take on this crazy situation. Yes, the babies deserve loving care, but my criticism of their mother certainly doesn't mean that I'm not interested in their futures - actually I'm very interested in them.
The Bible is full of stories of reprehensible characters. We study and analyze and comment on them all the time. Those who say we shouldn't discuss Nadya because it is "uncharitable" or "lacking in compassion" fail to understand that this woman clearly wanted the attention she is getting, and her story is compelling for several reasons.
As I mentioned in my article at Crosswalk today, this is part of the Have It Your Way mentality in which people steamroller through life making decisions as they please and not based on any longterm ethical or moral considerations.
For Christians to accuse those who comment on this outrageous behavior of being unChristlike is just a crazy perversion of what it means to be Christlike. Jesus told the truth about people and situations - with love but with boldness. The Bible uses real life stories to help us avoid the same mistakes. We may not be anywhere near the kind of monumental error Nadya made, but perhaps we can see in her rationalization an exaggeration of a common human failing.
Posted by: barbara | March 2, 2009 3:44 PM
Barbara, I agree with you. I am just trying to figure out if there were some circumstances that aren't being told. I mean, it just seems so absurdly terrible that she would turn down help just so she could get a reality show!
It's ridiculous! However, you're right that they don't mention anything about foster parenting in regards to her situation, so maybe she really is just THAT bad.
I guess I just have a hard time fathoming that level of disregard for another's life and well-being. I guess nothing should shock me these days.
Posted by: Lauren | March 2, 2009 4:00 PM
I think it's incredibly sad that she would turn down an offer of free, round the clock care from qualified medical professionals because the offer included no way for her to further her own fame. I'm trying to hold out hope that there's another offer out there that we just haven't heard about that she IS going to take.
I've heard that the hospital where the babies are being cared for has told Ms. Suleman that they will not release the babies to her unless certain conditions are met. I'd think that after learning that she would have taken the offer. This situation just gets sadder and sadder.
Posted by: Stephanie | March 2, 2009 4:34 PM
The next phase will probably be a high profile law suit of Suleman trying to get those babies with no realistic plan in place and the hospital reluctant to release them.
This is what happens when someone unbalanced takes some of what is being offered to freely. She has really taken this too far.
Posted by: Cath Young | March 2, 2009 4:56 PM
Who is going to care for those babies when they come home? Most of the families who have these extreme multiples are very busy working out schedules for friend, family, neighbors to help. I don't think Suleman has thought that far ahead. Are those other kids at home getting decent care?
Posted by: Cath Young | March 2, 2009 5:07 PM
