Mom Gives Birth to America’s First Surviving Sextuplets — They’ll Turn 30 in 2023

A mom made history when she gave birth to the first surviving sextuplets. Now, her children are 29 and living their best lives, choosing to pursue different paths from one another.

Many women dream of becoming a mother—it's a wonderful blessing to raise another human being and to live the best life possible with them. However, despite the dream, not a lot of women have it easy.

An Indiana woman named Becki wanted to become a mom so badly, but it didn't come easy. It took her years of trying to conceive to decide on an alternative method to have a child.

Miracle After Struggling to Conceive

Becki met her husband, Keith Dilley, at a Wendy's restaurant, and they hit it off. They tried to conceive for more than six years but were unsuccessful.

They decided to undergo fertility treatment, and finally, after years of waiting, Becki was pregnant. However, her first few pregnancy scans gave her the shock of her life—she discovered she was pregnant with five babies!

A Difficult Pregnancy

Despite finally getting what she wanted, Becki was warned to brace for a dangerous and high-risk pregnancy. At one point, she was so big that she could not fit into the shower. Eventually, doctors had to tie her uterus close to ensure the babies stayed in.

In May 1993, a team of 30 doctors and nurses began to do a C-section on Becki to deliver the babies. They delivered three boys and two girls, namely Brenna, Julian, Quinn, Claire, and Ian. Although they were only in their mom's womb for seven months at the time of their birth, they were all born healthy.

A Surprise They Did Not See Coming

After successfully delivering the five babies, the doctor left the midwife to help Becki deliver her placenta. It was then that he realized there was another baby inside.

Instead of reaching in to grab her placenta, he grabbed a foot instead – a sixth baby was hiding behind his mother's spleen! They named the surprise baby Adrian.

Although Keith and Becki were ecstatic to have children finally, they were also overwhelmed. It was difficult to care for one newborn—what more six!

Raising Six Growing Kids Simultaneously

The new parents raised their children without nannies or daycare, which was quite challenging. Becki eventually returned to working as a nurse while Keith stayed home with the kids.

Ultimately, Keith and Becki had to work hard on their relationship to keep it blossoming. They had to find time for love, in the midst of spending most of their time as mom and dad.

But as their kids got older, it got easier. "They don't demand our time 100 percent like they used to," Keith admitted. Becki chimed in to say that their children even used to encourage them to go on dates, and every now and then, it happened.

Developing Their Own Personalities

For years, developmental experts visited the sextuplets to observe them growing up. And as the sextuplets got older, they slowly started to develop their own personalities.

Julian, the second-born who was once seen as temperamental and impulsive, is the only sibling who chose to be a doctor.

Adrian, the youngest, was said to be the naughtiest. Claire was the leader of the siblings, while Julian was the more impulsive one.

Ian is artistic and passionate about dance, Quinn is a kind gentleman, and Brenna is kind, affectionate, and gentle.

Years later, the sextuplets' personalities evolved even more from when they were children. Now 29 years old, they remain the only set of sextuplets to survive.

A Doctor in Their Midst

All six decided to pursue different paths, and one of them is now a doctor. Julian, the second-born who was once seen as temperamental and impulsive, is the only sibling who chose the profession.

Julian had spent an extra month at the Women's Hospital in Indianapolis after birth due to respiratory issues and bilateral hernias. This reality was shared with him when he was older, and it never left his mind.

Acknowledging Their Miracle Birth

Julian admits that part of the reason why he decided to pursue a career in medicine is because of what he and his siblings went through. Speaking about it, he said:

"If the reason why you're not severely behind or have severe complications is due to medicine, I think you have a greater appreciation for what it can do at a young age."

Two of Julian's siblings are also working in the medical field. Ian is a pharmacist, while Claire is an emergency room nurse. Their sister Brenna chose to pursue a career in law, while Adrian and Quinn have military careers.

With only a one in 4.7 billion chance of falling pregnant with sextuplets, the Dilleys are a modern-day miracle. In another amazing multiple-birth story, a single mother who once gave birth to octuplets recently celebrated her children's 14th birthday. Click here to read all about it.