Depressing Facts About The Dionne Quintuplets, The Exploited Sisters
The Dionne quintuplets fascinated the public from the moment they were born. These identical sisters were such curiosities that they became victims of exploitation—and their story is unbelievably harrowing.
1. She Got The Surprise Of A Lifetime
When 24-year-old Elzire Dionne went into premature labor, she assumed she was having twins—but she was so wrong. On May 28, 1934, with the help of two midwives, Dr Allan Roy Dafoe delivered five identical babies: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie. But few know that there were actually supposed to be six infants.
2. There Were Originally Six Babies
In her third month of pregnancy, Elzire experienced severe cramping and actually passed a mysterious object that may have been a sixth fetus. Without a doubt, having a sixth baby would have posed an even higher risk for everyone involved, especially considering that the Dionne sisters were the very first quintuplets to survive their infancy.
Together, the babies' total birth weight was only 13 pounds, six ounces. They were so tiny—and yet, they were about to become the biggest sensations imaginable.
3. They Were Breaking News
Dr Dafoe—cavalier-like and awestruck—went on a gossip spree after delivering the miraculous quintuplets.
He alerted the girls' uncle, told everyone at the post office, and even shared the news with a store clerk, who advised him to take this jaw-dropping information straight to the newspapers. Of course, the domino effect was already in motion.
The girls' uncle had already spread the word to the newspapers—but the consequences proved to be a double-edged sword.
4. They Were Curiosities
The news of the quintuplets' birth spread like wildfire. Only six hours after their birth, a reporter and photographer showed up on the doorstep of the Dionne family's farmhouse.
In a dangerous move, the underweight babies were lifted out of their heated blankets and positioned next to their exhausted mother. After all, the photographer needed to get the perfect shot.
But this was just the beginning of the Dionne quintuplets' haunting reality show.
