Rabat – The world’s record-breaking nonuplets have celebrated their first birthday in Morocco. They are “in perfect health,” says their father.
Abdelkader Arby, the father, told BBC on Wednesday that his nine children have started crawling. “Some are sitting up and can even walk if they hold on to something,” he said.
Arby serves as an officer in the Malian army. He recently returned to Morocco after six months to celebrate the nonuplets’ birthday with his three-year-old daughter Souda and wife Halima Cisse.
Cisse currently resides with their children at a “medicalized flat” owned by the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca where the nonuplets were born.
Born by cesarean section at 30 weeks, the babies weighed between 500 and 1100 grams at birth.
The five girls and four boys were placed under 24/7 surveillance in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The girls are named Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama and Oumou while the boys are called Mohammed VI, Oumar, Elhadji, and Bah.
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As a tribute to King Mohammed VI, the parents named one of their boys Mohammed VI.
“I would also like to express my thanks to King Mohammed VI who agreed to receive us at a crucial time amid the Coronavirus pandemic,” Arby said last year.
While raising a twin is considered a challenge, having nine babies is the ultimate one.
“It’s not easy but it’s great. Even if it’s tiring at times, when you look at all the babies in perfect health, [in a line] from right to left we’re relieved. We forget everything,” said Arby.
“They all have different characters. Some are quiet, while others make more noise and cry a lot. Some want to be picked up all the time. They are all very different, which is entirely normal,” he concluded.
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