Correction: Confusion Trails Story of Woman Who Allegedly Gave Birth To 10 Children at Once
- A South-African woman Gosiame Thamara Sithole allegedly welcomed decuplets on Monday, June 7; she was initially expecting octuplets but two more babies were found during delivery
- Thamara, a mother of twins aged six, was alleged to have given birth at seven months and seven days at a Pretoria hospital
- Amid controversy surrounding the newborns' whereabouts, Journalist Piet Rampedi who first broke the news said "full investigation" is ongoing
- Legit.ng has made corrections to our initial story to reflect the uncertainties surrounding the claims that Sithole gave birth to 10 babies at once
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A South African woman was alleged to have given birth to 10 children at a go but there are controversies over the supposed newborns and their whereabouts.
Thirty-seven-year-old Gosiame Thamara Sithole was said to have given birth to the decuplets on the night of Monday, June 7; the mother had expected to give birth to eight children as an antenatal scan had shown but two more babies were found during delivery.
Source: UGC
Seven Boys, Three Girls
According to a report by Pretoria News and other news outlets, Thamara reportedly delivered her seven boys and three girls through a caesarian section in a Pretoria hospital.
She is now a mother of 12 as she already has six-year-old twins.
According to her husband, Teboho Tsotetsi, the woman's pregnancy was completely natural as she was not on any fertility treatment.
The father said:
"We now have seven boys and three girls. She gave birth at seven months and seven weeks."
In an interview a month ago before delivery, the now-mother of 12 said she was shocked to be informed she was giving birth to multiples.
Tough pregnancy
A scan at the beginning of the year showed she was carrying sextuplets but further scans later showed she had octuplets.
The other two babies could not be detected during her gestation period as they were in the wrong tube.
"My pregnancy was tough at the beginning because I was mostly sick. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition," she said in an exclusive interview with IOL.
She recalled how she became sceptical when she was informed she was expecting multiple children adding she also feared their chances of survival would be compromised.
Her husband, who is currently unemployed said he was excited to welcome his decuplets into the world.
"I felt as if I was one of God's children but I could still not believe it. I cannot wait to hold them in my arms," he said.
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Mediclinic says the children were not born at their hospital
Meanwhile, amid controversy generated by the #Tembisa10, Mediclinic in Pretoria has since come forward to say that the hospital has no records of Gosiame Sithole (the mom of the decuplets) or the little ones at any of their hospital branches.
The confusion about which facility she gave birth at came after the woman told the children's father Teboho Tsotsetsi that she had given birth at the Pretoria Mediclinic and was then transferred to Steve Biko Hospital.
Full investigation still ongoing, says Journalist Piet Rampedi
Piet Rampedi, a South African journalist who first broke the news of the newborn, has broken silence amid controversies trailing the whereabouts of the children.
There have been many claims coming up on social media which seek to tackle the validity of Rampedi's breaking story.
Defending himself, Rampedi said there is an ongoing "sensitive probe into #Tembisa10 story."
Fact-check: Is there any truth to the Tembisa10 story?
A fact-check by Lead Stories indicated that the South African government as of Monday, June 14 still could not verify the claims made in the media reports.
Lead Stories reached out to the South African Government Communications and Information System by email on June 14, 2021, to see if there had been any updates since the media release of June 8, and were informed that there is no update on the previous statement.
A Nigerian had six
In a related story, Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian woman became an instant internet celebrity after news filtered in that she had just delivered adorable sextuplets.
The woman identified as Doris Levi Wilson, now 34 years into her marriage, is a product of God's faithfulness and a testament to the adage that the patient dog eats the fattest bone.
Sharing the post on Facebook, a Bayelsa state journalist by the name Kos-Ikah Onisoman said that Doris' sextuplets came after six years she was delivered of a set of twins.
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Correction: Confusion Trails Story of Woman Who Allegedly Gave Birth To 10 Children at Once
Source: Legit.ng
Joseph Omotayo (HOD Human-Interest) Joseph Omotayo has been writing for the human interest desk since 2019 and is currently the head of the desk. He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, with a degree in Literature in English in 2016. He once worked for Afridiaspora, OlisaTV & CLR. He is a 2022/2023 Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking fellow. He can be reached via: joseph.omotayo@corp.legit.ng.
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com
