However, five of them died soon after birth. Currently, 12 of their children are alive, including seven sons and five daughters.
Udaipur: In a rare incident from Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, a 55-year-old woman gave birth to her 17th child. The delivery took place at the Community Health Center in Jhadol block, where Rekha Kalbeliya welcomed her newborn in the presence of relatives, well-wishers, and even her grandchildren.
Rekha and her husband, Kawra Ram Kalbeliya, residents of Leelawas village in Udaipur, are now parents to 17 children. However, five of them — four sons and one daughter — died soon after birth. Currently, 12 of their children are alive, including seven sons and five daughters. Out of these, two sons and three daughters are married and have children of their own, making Rekha a grandmother several times over even before the birth of her youngest baby.
Scrap Collection the Only Livelihood
Despite having such a large family, the couple struggles financially. Kawra Ram earns a living by collecting and selling scrap. Due to poverty, none of their children has ever attended school. To arrange marriages for their children, the family had to borrow money at interest.
Interestingly, doctors revealed that during admission Rekha initially claimed this was her fourth delivery. However, it was later confirmed to be her 17th. Commenting on the case, Dr. Roshan Darangi, a gynaecologist at the Jhadol Community Health Centre said, “Multiple deliveries weaken the uterus, increasing the risk of excessive bleeding and even danger to the mother’s life. Fortunately, this time everything went well.”
