Catching Up With The Famous Sextuplets, 12 Years After Their Miraculous Survival

Sextuplets are extremely rare, and the pregnancy is very risky. According to the Raising Multiples website, there have been up to 175 recorded cases of sextuplets. But sadly, only in 35 of these instances did all six babies live beyond infancy. Incredibly, it took until 1993 for the U.S. to have its first documented case of surviving sextuplets.

So, when Mia gave birth to Isaac, Josiah, Elijah, Rozonno Jr., Olivia, and Madison — and all six babies survived — the family joined a very select group. Then, when she posted an adorable photograph of the babies sleeping, sprawled across their exhausted dad’s back, they soon went viral. It was the beginning of an incredible — yet tumultuous — time in the McGhees’ lives.

Within a few months of their photo capturing the public’s imagination, the family was whisked away to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Obviously, their trip had to be planned with almost military-like precision. For example, they crammed six suitcases with 150 — yes, 150 — diapers, plus spare clothing and toys for the sextuplets. You’ve got to have spares, after all!

Mia and Rozonno told Oprah about their respective upbringings, which were both in single-parent homes in poorer areas of Ohio that struggled with high crime rates. In fact, both Mia’s older brothers were involved in illegal activity and, as she put it, they, “didn’t make it out.” Rozonno didn’t have it any easier, as his mother battled addiction for 19 years.

The future lovebirds met in high school, with Rozonno revealing he fell for Mia from the moment he first laid eyes on her. He said, “I used to see her walking down the hallway, and she always held books in her hands like she was on a mission. I knew that she was my wife.”

The pair fell in love so quickly that they tied the knot when Mia was 18 and Rozonno was 19. They knew they were each other’s future, and also that they wanted more than what they’d each experienced growing up. They wanted to start a family and make better lives for themselves.

Mia revealed, “Since I didn’t have a father, I’ve always wanted my children to have a father. I wanted, of course, to graduate from high school, go to college, get married.” Mia did attend college and, after a lot of hard work, landed a job as a realtor. In fact, she and Rozonno — who runs a carpet cleaning business — were so successful they were able to buy their first home.

The next part of their life plan was to have children but, unfortunately, it looked unlikely. After three years of trying with no success, the couple turned to IVF — in vitro fertilization. It was exceedingly expensive, but they craved a family so badly they felt it was worth the cost. And things looked bright when Mia learned she was carrying twins.

Sadly, at 29, Mia lost the pregnancy — and it devastated the couple. She told Essence magazine that the experience sent her into a slump, admitting, “I didn’t want to try again. I was so upset, but my husband encouraged me to go do it again, and here we are today. It was almost like it was planned — like this is what my destiny should be.”

Destiny, of course, saw Mia fall pregnant with not two, but six babies! To go from no babies to the possibility of six was daunting, with Mia admitting, “Had it happened the other way, where I got pregnant with multiples the first time, I may have considered reducing the number. But after losing the first twins, having multiples made me extra passionate.”

Luckily, both Mia and Rozonno had pictured having a big family — just maybe not quite as big as they got! Rozonno told Essence, “I grew up with four brothers, so I always pictured myself having the perfect family — two boys, two girls.” Mia added, “Same here. I never thought six. Maybe one or three, but six was not a part of the plan at all.”

During their appearance on Oprah, the couple were open about the realities of trying to raise so many little tykes at once. Mia said, “It can become overwhelming, but it’s a joy. It’s a joy being a mom now.” Luckily, they have plenty of people ready and willing to help them cope with the huge demands on their time and energy.

Mia explained, “Most days, maybe two or three people come throughout the morning and then the night to help with baths and help with clean-up.” Even with this aid, though, a strict cleaning and trash disposal schedule is adhered to — and by trash disposal, we mean dirty diaper disposal! As Mia chuckled, “That keeps the smell down.”

The McGhees revealed that Mia left work to care for the children, with Rozonno’s business — McGhee Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning — being the main source of income for the family. Oprah half-joked, “If you live near Columbus, Ohio, and you need your carpets cleaned, please call this man. He needs your business!”

Regarding how she and Rozonno intended to raise the sextuplets, Mia revealed that religion would play an important part. After all, it had been a huge factor in their lives, too. She said, “I want to make sure I instill values in them. First, love God — know God and love God first, because he brought them here with purpose.”

Rozonno also addressed their religion in 2012. He told Ebony magazine that church helped him and Mia massively, saying, “We were going to church together on a regular basis and part of that is soul-searching, trying to find out who we are and trying to find out what roles to play. How should I be a man and how should I be a woman?”

The devoted dad added that church “really taught us to pray, and when you pray, pray fervently.” Beyond religion, though, Mia believed that she and Rozonno choosing to adopt a positive mindset helped them overcome negative experiences in their pasts. They knew they had a chance to show their children a different life, and they committed to that.

Mia explained, “Instead of us just being bitter or angry about our past — because it wasn’t always perfect — what we choose to do is make a decision. Ro and I, we always talk about what we can do differently than what we saw growing up and how we didn’t want that to happen to our kids.” Indeed, they simply decided to release negativity as much as possible.

Beyond that, though, Mia and Rozonno were determined their kids would have good moral foundations in their lives that would prepare them for success. She said, “But I want them also to get an education, a good education. That’s something we’re still working on, which we’re going to do… and just be productive citizens.”

Speaking of their little citizens, Rozonno and Mia were both adamant the sextuplets displayed their own uniqueness instantly. Mia told Essence, “When I first met the babies, I noticed the different cries. Even to this day I can tell who’s crying. But even their personalities were immediately obvious. Like Rozonno, Jr. was always the laid back one, and Josiah can get very feisty.”

The McGhees were taken aback by the amount of help they received after the sextuplets turned their lives upside down. Mia gushed, “We were blown away by the support from so many people in our community and across the States. People have sent us gifts from across the country. Quilts, diapers, blankets, teddy bears, even money.”

Mia continued, “We are shocked. We just never expected everybody to step up the way they did, especially with the economy the way it is. We thought nobody had anything to give.” Rozonno added, “This really made me think about how much I love America. The humanity of people just makes me think,‘God bless America.’”

Amazingly, they also received an enormous helping hand from Oprah herself when they were on her show. The TV icon revealed her team had liaised with Mia and Rozonno’s local Walmart store, and it agreed to give the family a whopping $250,000 in store credit. Oprah smiled, “That’s more than enough to take care of your family needs for years to come.”

The McGhees could barely get a word out as they were so overcome with emotion. But then Oprah hit them with another surprise when music superstar Celine Dion joined them all on-stage. Oprah explained, “Celine and I found out that after 11 years of marriage, the two of you still haven’t gone on a honeymoon.”

Oprah didn’t think this was right — good people like Mia and Rozonno should’ve been able to enjoy an epic honeymoon. So, she revealed that she’d teamed up with Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas — which was hosting Dion’s new show — to offer the McGhee’s a four-night stay at the Forum Tower Emperor’s Suite! It came complete with butler service and tickets to Dion.

Interestingly, it was this connection with Oprah that led the McGhees into a whole new world — reality television! Six Little McGhees began airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network in December 2012, and it lasted for three popular seasons. Then, in 2016 the show returned as Growing Up McGhee, running for another two seasons.

In 2012 Mia told Ebony magazine that Oprah was truly instrumental in the shows getting on the air. She revealed, “We just felt so comfortable with her and the reputation she built. After appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, we received thousands of emails from people all over the world telling us how our story inspired them.”

Mia continued, “It really inspired us to want to do a reality show. And we do feel like we have a story to tell that can help other people.” Rozonno added, “It made us feel so good to know that people wanted to continue on in their journey to have children because they saw that we can do it and [we] can stay married too and raise a family too.”

Rozonno told Ebony magazine that, with a wonderful family life and a thriving business, he felt like God had blessed him. He said, “I look back over my life I say man we came so far. I am blessed. Growing up without a father and my mother having her issues, I know I want to be there for my children. I can be their mentor.”

Rozonno continued, “I think that’s the greatest thing a man can do is being there for their children. Support your wife by being there for her and having your kids see that.” Mia added, “I always dreamed of this, and it was definitely something I want to do, so it’s not hard to do. I love watching my family and our business grow and our love is established.”

Fast forward to February 2020, and Mia was speaking to TODAY Parents about the sextuplets, who were then nine years old. The happy-yet-tired mom joked, “Many people ask me if it’s easier now that they’re older, but I beg to differ.” If anything, it turned out the McGhees’ experience was that parenting became an even more all-hands-on-deck situation as the kids grew up!

“The older age and their awareness makes it difficult and, oh my goodness, my kids are everywhere at the same time,” laughed Mia. “They have their own opinions, personalities, and identities — our household as it stands today is in a bit of an uproar. It truly is Ro and I against them.”

Life came at the McGhees fast, with Mia confessing, “It’s hard to believe that these six were once tiny little babies and are now in third grade. Each one is an individual and it’s amazing and crazy to watch. The house is in a frenzy and the once-had-it-together parents are taking each day one at a time and picking our battles wisely.”

As a family of eight, space is always at a premium, but Mia revealed they’d managed their living arrangements well. She explained, “We have a four-bedroom house. The two girls share a room and there are two boys to a room, which is great for my family.” The family also travels in style — in a 12-seater passenger van!

Mia and Rozonno were wise enough to recognize that, while they knew a lot about parenting, they still had much more to learn. Mia confessed, “Ro and I are literally figuring this thing called ‘parenthood-times-six’ out.” But, about her six beloved children, she said, “I love their love for each other. They fight hard but they love even harder. I call it built-in best friends.”

These days, Mia keeps fans up to date with McGhee family life via her Instagram account. On May 23, 2020, she posted a photograph of her six smiling kids as they edged ever closer to turning 10 years of age. The post was captioned, “My babies getting ready for the double digits next month #TheBigTen.”

Then, on August 18, 2021 she posted a picture of the sextuplets preparing for a big day at school. The year-long gap between photos made it all the more apparent how much older they all looked, with the caption reading, “And the McGhee sextuplets are off to their first day of fifth grade...”

The kids growing up was definitely on Mia’s mind on December 13, 2021. She posted a photo with Madison and Olivia and captioned it, “Momma’s baby girls ain’t so babyish anymore. I’m missing a baby now… #BabyFeverAgain.” It takes a special kind of mother to get broody when she’s already got six children at home, but that’s Mia!

Finally, on January 9, 2022, Mia shared a photo of Madison wearing her mom’s heels for church. Again, the doting mother just couldn’t believe how grown-up her little girl was getting. She wrote, “Being the only girl raised with three brothers I am not used to sharing anything. Can’t believe she can almost fit them.”