When Halima Cissé found out she was pregnant, she had no idea just how extraordinary her journey would be. After initial examinations, doctors first suspected she was expecting triplets, then possibly five babies.
But to the complete astonishment of the entire medical team, Halima carried and gave birth to nine babies at once — five girls and four boys.
The babies were born prematurely at 30 weeks of pregnancy, each weighing between 500 grams and 1 kilogram — so tiny they could fit in the palm of a hand.
All nine newborns were immediately placed in intensive care units, where experienced doctors and nurses monitored them around the clock.
They were fed every two hours, examined every three hours, consumed six liters of formula and up to a hundred diapers each day.
The babies spent several months in incubators, slowly gaining weight and strength. No one could say for certain whether they would all survive — but then, a miracle happened.
Today, four years later, they are happy, healthy boys and girls with strong bodies and joyful laughter.
Halima gave birth to nine children at once — and all of them survived: here’s how they look four years after birth.
The Cissé family made history as the first in the world where all nine babies born at the same time survived — a true triumph of medicine, love, and the human spirit.
On May 4, 2025, the children celebrated their fourth birthday in grand style with a party held at a hotel in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
Guests were already gathered when the stars of the celebration made their entrance — the girls in white, fluffy dresses with pink bows in their curly hair, and the boys in gray suits with vests and maroon bow ties.
