Being a parent is a wonderful experience, but it is also one of the world’s most difficult jobs. Diamond and Chris Harris can relate because they have raised sextuplets!
The country’s first surviving set of African American sextuplets are Kiera Christine, Kaylynne Antoinett, Kaleb Reddick, Kobe Byshari, Kieran Anthony, and Kyle Jacob Harris. Another milestone for them was finishing their senior year at Center Point High School in Birmingham, Alabama.
When Diamond and Chris decided to start a family 18 years ago, they had only hoped for one more child. Diamond’s first child from a previous relationship, Dewayne, was five at the time, and the couple wanted him to have a sibling. They were unable to conceive two years after their marriage. They went to see a fertility specialist, who gave Diamond a hormone and told them not to get their hopes up.
The fertility medications worked and, as they would later discover, accomplished far more than they had anticipated.
When Diamond went to the doctor for a pregnancy test after discovering she was pregnant, she was told she was having twins. An ultrasound, on the other hand, revealed that she was carrying five children. Diamond developed a blood clot in her lung a few months into her pregnancy and was hospitalized at the University of Alabama. She needed a C-section 26. Since things were getting difficult, 5 weeks later, on July 8, 2002. Only then did her doctors learn she was expecting six children.
When the babies were born, they weighed between 1 pound 3 ounces and 1 pound 12 ounces, which is the average weight for premature babies. They had to stay in the hospital for over three months before being released.
In the year 2020, the unusual siblings have graduated from high school! Diamond and Chris admit to feeling emotional on the big day, despite their pride in their children.
«I sat in bed the morning of the ceremony, staring at their baby pictures and feeling unhappy,» she said in an interview with Today. «It’s going to be far too quiet.»
«I’ve been friends with these kids for about 18 years. Chris, 46, added, “They’ve been my motivation.” «I keep telling myself that everything will be fine; it’ll just be different.»
It will be heartbreaking to see them go, but the parents will take comfort in the fact that the six will return to do their laundry on occasion. They will all finish their education in Alabama.
Kiera is a Lawson State Community College cosmetology student. Kaylynne will study physical therapy at Alabama State University, and Kobe, who wants to play college baseball, will join her. Kaleb and Kieran will both study computer science and art at Alabama A&M, respectively. Kyle, who is autistic, will take part in a life skills class.
This isn’t the Harris family’s first major transition. Diamond and Chris divorced in 2012 and then remarried.
Diamond declared, “Chris and I are best friends.” «I also adore his wife.» I am constantly in contact with her. I told Chris the other day, ‘She’s my wife.’
Because the two have a solid connection, the sextuplets get the best of both parents. They’ll be packing up their rooms in August, and Chris remarked that doing projects with kids and Monday pizza night will be the things he misses the most once they depart for college. Diamond, on the other hand, will miss hearing the teenagers speak in their «unique» language.
«No one else understands what they’re saying,» she said. «I’ll say, ‘Slow down, enunciate.’» And they glance at me as if to say, ‘How could you miss that?’ That’s how it’s been since they started talking.»
Their children will miss them as well, but it is time for them to move on. Best of luck in college, Harris siblings!
