The life story of Mary Nabatanzi, a woman from Uganda in East Africa, is considered one of the most remarkable cases in reports related to multiple births around the world. She has been referred to in the media as “Mama Uganda,” and her life has attracted widespread attention from journalists and medical experts.
According to reports, before reaching the age of 40, Mary Nabatanzi gave birth to a total of 44 children, making her one of the rarest known examples of repeated multiple pregnancies.
She was born in 1980 in Uganda and was married at the age of 12. Her first childbirth occurred when she was 13 years old, resulting in twins and marking the beginning of numerous pregnancies throughout her life.
Over the years, she experienced several multiple pregnancies, including twins, triplets, and quadruplets. According to international media reports, her deliveries included six sets of twins, four sets of triplets, and three sets of quadruplets.
Despite the high number of births, some of her children died during infancy. In recent years, reports indicated that she was raising around 38 surviving children and was responsible for their care.
Doctors identified the main cause of her condition as a rare hormonal disorder called “hyperovulation.” In this condition, the ovaries release multiple eggs during each menstrual cycle, greatly increasing the likelihood of multiple pregnancies.
Medical specialists also stated that, due to her unique physical condition, some common methods of birth control were considered unsuitable or unsafe for her.
In 2015, Mary Nabatanzi’s husband abandoned the family, and since then she has been solely responsible for raising her many children while supporting the household through small local jobs.
By 2019, she was living with her 38 surviving children in a rural area of Uganda. Reports described the family as living in a modest home with a few small rooms, where the children slept on bunk beds or shared mattresses.
To support her family, Mary Nabatanzi has worked in various occupations such as local hairdressing, selling herbal medicine, and doing small village jobs. Despite severe financial difficulties, she has tried to provide her children with access to education, although the cost of schooling for such a large family has been reported to be extremely burdensome.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
