Famous Photo
After six years passed, the family recreated one photo with their sextuplets, employing the same photographer for the job. Everything was set, and no one expected anything out of the ordinary.
Little did they know, the photo was hiding an important detail that made them famous in the first place. How could they have not seen it until six years later?
Humble Beginnings
Coming from tough backgrounds meant that the odds were against Rozonno and Mia McGhee from the beginning. You see, both had single-parent families and were raised by unfitting parents.
Mia and Rozonno McGhee first hit the headlines in 2010 when they shared an adorable family photo. The interesting part was that it included all six of their beautiful sextuplets – Elijah, Issac, Josiah, Madison, Olivia, and Rozonno Jr. But it wouldn’t end there.
Young Love
The two bumped into each other in high school, and they later began to date. It was love at first sight. They both fell in love with each other, which was the beginning of a beautiful story.
Rozonno used to see Mia walking down the hallway every day, and she always held books in her hands like she was on a mission. At that moment, he knew he wanted to marry her. And their life was just beginning.
A New Life
They were married before turning 20 and soon decided that they wanted to start a family. They wanted to have children as soon as possible.
Their biggest wish was to build a better family than the one they grew up in. It was their life dream. But would they succeed, or would the challenges of married life break them?
Shattered Dreams
However, it didn’t go as planned, and they struggled to conceive. To have a family of their own, then, the couple tried numerous fertility treatments.
Mia subsequently became pregnant with twins. Sadly, though, she lost the pregnancy. They were both devastated but didn’t want to give up just yet. What could they do, though?
A Miracle
Eventually, the couple conceived not one child but six. They were left breathless when they heard the news but put trust in their faith. In fact, the religious couple said that despite the difficult circumstances, they viewed the news as a blessing.
The sextuplets were born in 2010. Soon afterward, the family decided that it would be a great idea to have a portrait taken with their new arrivals. They didn’t realize how the photograph – capturing the six naked babies lying on their shirtless father – would change their lives beyond recognition.
Going Viral
Indeed, the heartwarming photograph went viral after Mia shared the image online. She initially only shared the photo so that her in-laws could see it. Soon, the picture had found its way into the hands of giant Facebook pages.
Producers from The Oprah Winfrey Show saw it, for one thing, and they invited the couple to appear on the show. Winfrey herself described how much she loved the family’s photo. But going viral came with its own dreadful challenges.
A Hit
So the McGhees were an instant hit with the public. Everyone, including celebrities, total strangers, and retail brands, was lining up to help the couple with all manner of things for their six bundles of joy.
But how would that affect the lives of the couple and their children? Would all that attention be good for them?
Changes
And the couple had to make some changes to their lives after the babies were born. They had to upgrade their home to a four-bedroom pad to make space for the new arrivals. However, the family quickly adapted to taking care of the newborns.
Taking care of six tiny babies comes with its own challenges. For instance, the family routinely went through some 50 diapers a day. Meanwhile, the McGhees reported that each baby drank around five bottles every day. Will the family be able to handle all that?
The Same Photographer
So the family put together a plan to recreate the picture that started it all. They even called up Brian Killian, who took the original shots, and asked if he would be willing to recreate the original picture six years after.
It turned out that the photographer was more than happy to help out. However, this time there were a few differences. In the original picture, the children can be spotted sleeping naked on top of and around their dad. Also, the photographer had a confession to make about the first session. What could he have hidden all this time?
A Second Photo Session
The photographer admitted something people have been trying to point out several times. He actually used Photoshop in the original picture to get all six youngsters to pose at the same time. It couldn’t be done so perfectly after all.
Meanwhile, the children have all been given smart new clothes in the second edition. Killian, the photographer, told ABC News that he had great fun working with the family for a second time and even praised the youngsters for their cuteness during the shoot. But their journey wouldn’t end there.
Too Much Help
Many brands and people reached out to help the family with toys and supplies. The family was very grateful.
But it became too much. The time came when the couple was overwhelmed by the generosity of others. They got to the point where they had to tell everybody that they could do just fine from then on.
Family Life
Mia left her job to spend more time at home taking care of the sextuplets. Meanwhile, her husband decided to make other changes by setting up his own carpet-cleaning business.
The couple also began to take advantage of their newfound fame and decided to sign up for a reality TV show based on their lives. Everyone was curious to see how it was to raise six children of the same age.
Success
While the family became a household name, the carpet-cleaning business began to take off. The business meant that the family could move out of town, and the children could attend a better school.
Six years later, the family appeared to have it made. Despite humble beginnings, the McGhees had become celebrities in their own right. It’s hard to imagine that this all somehow began because Mia had shared a family photo on Facebook.
TV Show
As the kids turned six, the family celebrated another milestone – the launch of their second reality show, Growing Up McGhee. Their fame was paying off once again.
The show follows the family on their adventures as they face childhood and family life dramas together. As for what the future holds for the family, only time will tell.