Suspicious Sperm Donor: I Knew Nayda Suleman When

        A man, Denis Beaudoin,  who donated sperm for Nayda Suleman during a 3 year relationship, that they shared 10-12 years ago, suspects that he maybe the father of ,at least, her older six children; not to mention the possiblity of being the father of her 8 newborn babies.    Nayda has been the focus of much speculation and news reporting since giving birth to the babies; she has been referred to as the Octo-mom in the press.  All 14 of her children have been conceived by invitro fertilization.  Nayda says that all of her children are the product of invitro-fertilization from the same sperm donor.  Denis Beaudoin says that he knew Nayda Suleman when their friends nicknamed her giggles for her infectious laugh. 

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Enabling Or Supporting The Mother Of Octuplets

       Surely you have heard the news about the mother in California who gave birth to eight babies this past week; she already has six children; they are all under the age of 8.  The mother, Nadya Suleman, conceived all of her children by invitro fertilization.  She is unemployed and living in a three bedroom home with her parents.  There are so many questions about how an educated woman, could allow herself to get in this position of having 14 children with little or no support.  Many are questioning the ethics involved in allowing a single woman with 6 children and no job to get invitro fertilization in the first place; let alone, get implanted with 8 embryos.

         Part of the conflict is that people are wondering how did she come up with the money for the invitro for any of her pregnancies?  That is not cheap…let alone to have it done so many times.  Also, it is not normal procedure to implant so many embryos for one pregnancy.  Even when 4 or so embryos are implanted…it isn’t expected that all would become viable babies.  That is amazing in itself that all 8 would be viable and born.

        Now, the woman is living in a home with her parents with only three bedrooms.  There are already 6 children in the home.  Where will these babies live when they come home?  Nadya’s father is a contractor who works overseas and probably wont be around to help and the media has been reporting that Nadya’s mother is threatening to leave the home when her daughter comes home from the hospital.  She says that her daughter has been obsessed with having children her whole life; and, at some point received counseling for that obsession. 

     Nadya’s mother is saying that she is leaving.  So, that must be hard for her to even think about…but by staying would that be considered enabling her daughter or supporting her?  At this point, the babies are already here…they have been born.  The mother says that Nadya is out of embryos so that her obsession will have to end.   I think that is a good thing. 

         The question is…if Nadya truly has an obsession…why wasn’t that dealt with before this latest pregnancy?   Will the department of human services get involved to ensure that all 14 children are being cared for properly?  Will a social worker be assigned to the family to co-ordinate some kind of system to make sure that everyone is doing what needs to be done to support this family?  Who will pay for that since Nadya doesn’t work and her parents have filed for bankruptsy within the last couple of years?  The state of California, where she lives, certainly can’t afford to pay for that. 

         The medical expenses alone for this pregnancy will be astronomical.  Babies born prematurely will have huge medical bills from the birth and caregiving alone…not to mention possible life-long disabilities that they could face.  I heard, dont know if it is fact, that one of the older children has possible autistic tendencies.  That too, would be a big financial concern.

         All 14 children were allegedly fathered by the same sperm donor.  Does he bare any legal, financial, or moral responsibility?  Do you think he knows about the children…or do you think it is an annoymous sperm donor?  If he knows about the children…should he be legally forced to help provide physical and financial support?

          News programs were speaking today about the possibility of Nadya selling her “story” to Oprah’s show or maybe even Diane Sawyer for ABC news for something like $2million dollars.  Do you think that is appropriate or inappropriate?

           I at first thought…that is not cool.  She should have to work to provide for those children herself.  But then, reality set in…child care fees alone would take every penny that she makes; and she would still be a drain to the tax payers.  Not to mention…who in their right mind would take the responsibility of providing care for 14 children, all at once?  Another thing, if she was working round the clock to provide for them…she wouldn’t have any time to dedicate to the emotional needs of her children.  If she can’t make money from her “story” then…she would just be another single mother who supported her children from the money the rest of us tax payers pay in…and that is definately not ok with me. 

         As much as I dont like the idea of selling her story to the highest bidder…it is the lessor of two evils.  I dont think the American public (or California tax payers) should foot the financial or medical bills of that family.   Children are a blessing…i do believe in pro-life values.  However, this was a definate abuse of  the system to create a family.  Not the invitro itself…because i think that does provide an avenue for many families who have trouble conceiving children.  However, she already had children…she was not supporting them herself.  That was already a drain on her family and the tax payers assumably.  I do think it was unethical of whatever medical clinic that provided it’s fertility services to her, in her situation. 

         But, on the other hand, once they did enable her to conceive…I heard that she was offered selective termination of some of the fetuses to offer them a better chance of being born without difficulties.  I am glad that she did not terminate any of the babies…because i believe that is murder.  It is a terrible no win situation…but , life is life…and whatever she is able to do to legally support those children should be done.

         I do think if she is indeed offered a large sum of money…she should be court ordered to repay the tax payers for any support or monies that she/her family has received from the tax payers as no one else had the choice about how many children she chose to bring into the world.  I truly would be surprised if some reform or investigation is not performed to question the medical and legal ethics of this situation.  What are your thoughts on this story?

Read Full Post »

Olympic Opportunities-Michael Phelps

          Do you remember in the old days when someone won gold in the Olympics; they maybe made the cover of a cereal box or got a television commercial?  These days, with all of the open access to micro media (social networking)…a savy person, or someone with the bucks to hire a  skilled publicist, has the whole world at their feet if they so choose.

           Michael Phelps must be either very savy with the micro media, or he has the bucks for the publicist :).  News came right away that he was going to be working on writing a book.   Keeping his name in the forefront of the media is a wise thing; it will help him to sell his book in large numbers; which publishers love!   He has done the traditional celebratory thing and went to Walt Disney World for a colorful photo op.  He has even been making the rounds in the traditional media mags like People who try to dig into his personal life…like the romance department. 

          Evidently, he has been in training for more than the Olympics as he learned somewhere how to evade direct responses to requests for said information on his love life, haha.  I say go for it Michael…it’s is no-ones business unless you choose to make it public knowledge.  Of course, that doesn’t stop the speculators who suggest that he is involved with a former beauty queen from California, by the name of Nicole Johnson.

           Michael Phelps is also keeping busy by expanding his skill set.  He is going to be on Saturday Night Live on Sept 13th.  It appears that Michael is going to avoid that typical emotional let down, that many feel after competing in the Olympics, when all of the attention shifts from the competitors and their accomplishments to other news of the day.  Smart move…it is never a pretty thing to see a role model who is accomplished, wither on the vine, not knowing what goals to set their sights on next.  Good luck Michael Phelps with your exploration of the world; you seem to be enjoying the experiences as you go, as you should!

Read Full Post »

Deceased Daredevil Steve Fossett Incurs Debt For Search

         Daredevil Steve Fossett has incurred a large debt related to his disappearance and the subsequent search and rescue last fall.  Nevada officials are looking for some way to get reimbursed for the $687,000 that was spent trying to find him and his plane; that search came up with several other wreakages, however, Steve Fossett and his plane was never found.  I remember hearing at the time of his disappearance, news reports wondering if Mr. Fossett purposely disappeared.  That is a mystery, like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart; we may never know exactly what happened. 

          His family ended up having him declared legally dead in February of this year.  Mr. Fossett set many daredevil records over the years…he dreamed of breaking barriers and setting records.  He was a hero to many who admire the example he set for those who like the extreme excitement they get by pushing the boundaries.  Do you think that his family should be responsible for the expenses that the search and rescue attempt cost the state of Nevada? 

 Update:  October 1, 2008  Today there are reports that, a little more than a year after Mr. Steve Fossett disappeared, some of his personal property has been found.  A hiker has turned in to the police, some pieces of ID, and a pilots license, and a little over $1,000 dollars cash.  An extra large black pullover fleece was also found in the same general area.  This discovery was on the trail near the town of Mammoth Lakes, California.

Update:  October 2, 2008  It has been confirmed that a plane crash site was located near the area where the ID, personal items, and cash were found; and it is indeed the plane that Mr. Fossett was flying.  There was no full body found.  There was a small amount of human remains found in that in that area that will be tested for Mr. Fossett’s DNA.  Madera County sheriff said that the crash was so bad that he doubted that anyone could have survived the impact.   

Read Full Post »

I hope I dont hear…ooops, she did it again!

       Ok, i have been awake less than 15 minutes and I am hearing the news (good, I believe) that Britney Spears has been admitted again for a mental health evaluation in California.

       I hope i do not hear in the headlines the stupid line, Oops, she did it again.  I know some media will make terrible headlines.  This is serious people…she is in terrible need.   You know what…we have all been observing a young woman who has been drowning.  It is almost like everyone is standing around saying, i wonder who is going to jump in and save her.  While we all wait….she has been going underwater not knowing if she will come back up. 

        Even though she needs help badly, it is still a tragedy that she has to be admitted anywhere “again”.  Why wasn’t she kept in the hospital the last time?  When the last incident happened the media proclaimed that it was a typical California 72-hour watch.  She was released in a day and a half.  Who made that decision?

       I am sure, for her parents or whoever made the decision to make the call this time, for another evaluation it had to have been a hard decision.  How could they not wonder…will she get healthy, will she hate us forever, will she once again cut us out of her life?  These are hard thoughts that thousands of people, everyday, deal with in their own families when a loved one has a mental illness.

       So, people, dont make jokes, don’t make light of her situation.  I think most people are realizing that this isn’t something to make jokes about at Britney’s expense; but at the same time….there are people who will try to make a profit off of selling pictures of her or something. 

       It is hard to value yourself emotionally when everywhere she looks…someone wants to get something from her.  I am sure that and the constant hangers on in her life have only added to her illness …whatever that may be.  And no, none of us have a right to know what that illness is…unless, She, the patient wants people to know once she has time to heal and mend.

       Let us not forget…there are two young children growing up in the middle of this legal and emotional spotlight.  They will live with the reminders of mom and her “breakdowns” just like a very famous Hollywood woman named Marilyn Monroe or Norma Jean, if you will.

      Times have come a long way since those days in the treatment of mental health…but, the stigma of mental health is no better now than it was then.  May God grant healing for all those touched by mental health illnesses.

      

Read Full Post »

Obedience….what for?

       I don’t know about you, but i have a hard time obeying someone just for the sake of obeying.  I have to be able to think a thing through and find the reason for something.  I don’t like to blindly obey; that requires alot of trust.

      As you can imagine…as a child…that was not the best approach.  🙂  My mother always told me…i had to learn things the HARD WAY.  Too funny…she was absolutely right.  I do, sometimes, have to learn the hard way for it to sink in.

      As a parent; i know the value of obeying.  When my children were little, it terrified me crossing streets and things like that as my children are somewhat hardheaded.   Obeying me was in their best interest; I knew that…but they did not understand it that way.

        (My mother, at great times of stress, wished for me…”TEN CHILDREN JUST LIKE YOU!”  hahah   She probably regrets saying that now….as she has  many grandchildren  just like me). 

      Amazing since they aren’t biological…i just think it is because God has a wonderful sense of humor. 🙂

Read Full Post »