news

The Australian family with 16 kids. Wow.

Bonells 16 children
The Bonell Family (Image via the Today show).

 

You know all about the Duggars, the US family with 20 kids.

But chances are, you’ve never heard of Australia’s very own super-sized family — the Bonells, who’ve just welcomed their 16th child.

Jeni Bonell, 46, and husband Ray, 43, live with their 15 youngest kids in a seven-bedroom home in Toowomba, Queensland, according to Woman’s Day.

Baby Katelyn, born on June 26, is the latest addition to the Bonell family — joining Jesse, 24, Brooke, 23, Claire, 21, Natalie, 19, Karl, 18, Samuel 16, Cameron, 14, Sabrina, 14, Timothy, 11, Brandon, nine, Eve, eight, Nate, seven, Rachel, six, Eric, four and Damian, three.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jeni’s latest birth experience was the hardest yet: When she went into labour, doctors discovered the umbilical cord had emerged before the baby, a condition known as an umbilical cord prolapse.

This meant doctors had to act quickly, performing an emergency caesarian to ensure Katelyn’s safe delivery, the Today show reports.

Bonells 16 children
Baby number 16: Caitlin. (Image via The Today Show)
ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking to Today, Ray said he had a ‘newfound respect’ for his wife following the birth.

“(H)er recovery has been a lot harder and I’ve had to take on some of the housework and some of the washing and I’ve earned a total new respect for her this time around,” he said.

Jeni said the older children had also been helping with the workload.

“They all help in this household. Mum and dad couldn’t possibly do all of it. They all have jobs to do and they all help,” she said.

Jeni told The Chronicle earlier this year she hadn’t wanted any children when she married Ray at 19, but that it had been ‘so wonderful to surrender into parenthood.’

“It’s amazing how your heart can expand to love so many people equally,” she said.

Jeni is so enthusiastic about parenthood, in fact, that she told Today host Lisa Wilkinson she wouldn’t rule out baby number 17.

“I would have told you years ago that I would have finished my family by the time I was 30, and when I got the 30 I would have told you that I would have finished by the time I go to 40,” she said.

Yahoo News reports that the cost of raising two Australian children to age 21 years old is about $800,000, while the cost of raising 16 children is almost $6.5 million.

How many children do you have? Could you cope with any more?

[post_snippet id=324408]