Growing Up With The McGhees: Why This Unique Family Went Viral

Mia and Rozonno McGhee were close to abandoning their dream of being parents, after spending years trying to conceive naturally. When they finally got pregnant, they had no idea they would be blessed with not one, but SIX miracles. And if that wasn't exciting enough, they ended up going viral after sharing one adorable photo for the world to see. So, why did this family become one of the most famous families in the world?

Back to the Beginning

Before we dive into this couple’s unique story, let’s go right back to the start. For Mia and Rozonno (Ro) McGhee, things weren’t easy. The pair go back more than three decades and their romcom-style love story could inspire a movie. Mia and Ro met in their teens, and it really was love at first sight. Mia knew all those years ago that Rozonno would be the man she’d have the relationship of her dreams with, but she dreamed of being a mother. Unfortunately, her journey there would be harder than she could have ever expected.

Difficult Upbringing

The duo had more in common than they thought—they shared a similarly difficult upbringing. Mia came from a tough single-parent household so having a happy family of her own was Mia’s biggest goal in life. She was raised by her mother, and since she didn’t have a father in the picture, she imagined from a young age that she’d one day have a big and beautiful family with a strong father figure. Rozonno fit the mold perfectly and the high-school sweethearts turned things around for themselves as soon as they got together.

Turning Things Around

Both of their lives changed when they met each other. They came from a struggling community in Columbus, Ohio where their parents were on welfare and though they didn’t know exactly how, they were determined for things to turn out differently for them. Mia always wanted to go by the book. She planned to graduate high school, go to college, and get married before becoming a parent. Rozonno saw Mia in high school and knew right away that they were endgame. He was totally smitten.

A Rough Start

The pair were eager to make things official fast, getting married at only 18 and 19 years old. They knew they shared a mission of becoming parents and they wanted to start the next chapter of their lives together. But becoming a mother wasn’t as easy as Mia thought it would be. The young couple started trying to have a baby but they found that getting pregnant naturally was a challenge. After three years of trying, they just couldn’t get pregnant. Years flew by and they knew they had to turn to an alternative solution.

New Hope

Things weren’t going as planned for the McGhees and by 2010, IVF treatments were already a well-established way to help people who struggled to conceive naturally. Of course, it came at a price—a very high one. They had enough disappointments and heartbreak in their parenting journey and were already saving every penny they earned to be able to afford the procedure. It came with financial and mental stress, taking a toll on them both, but they were about to get the outcome they hoped for.

An Extra Surprise

After trying for a baby for three years and several rounds of IVF, Mia finally became pregnant and their pain suddenly seemed to go away. Where there’s a will there’s a way! And the pair weren’t giving up on their dreams any time soon. This was everything they had wanted and the joy didn’t stop there. Not only were they pregnant with one baby, but they had two blessings in one! The McGhees were expecting twins!

Double Trouble

It’s common to have multiples like twins from IVF treatment, and the couple was overjoyed at the news. After a tough start to life, they were ready to embrace this new blessing and become a family of four. They set up their nursery, bought all the necessary baby stuff, and all that was left to do now was wait patiently for their due date. But what the couple would soon find out is that their dream pregnancy would have the outcome everyone dreads.

Tragedy Strikes

Tragically, Mia went into preterm labor and the unthinkable happened in the delivery room, just after the twins were born. The pregnancy ended and neither baby survived. The couple was devastated and completely heartbroken. Mia especially struggled with the news and found it difficult to recover emotionally, and Rozonno shared in her pain and was there every step of the way. Mia had her husband by her side, and after an unimaginable setback, the pair were determined to become parents.

Good Fortune

Still grieving the loss of their twins, Mia was about to get some good news. Everything was happening very quickly, and based on their experience of having difficulty conceiving, the pair were cautious. They didn’t want to get their hopes up. At 29 years old, after being married for 10 years, Mia was about to find out she was pregnant again through another round of fertility treatment, and this time it wasn’t twins, but something even more unexpected.

Finally a Happy Sign

They say that when it rains, it pours. And for this couple who had been through so much, one piece of good fortune was only the beginning of a miracle-filled journey. There was more positive news to follow and they didn’t have much time to prepare. Not only were Mia and Rozonno expecting one miracle baby, but the couple was about to be much busier than they’d ever thought. During one of Mia’s early checkups, the doctor announced that they were indeed becoming parents, but not just to one baby, or even two. Or three, for that matter. Can you imagine being hit with this kind of news?

Lucky Number Seven

The doctor hit them with the bombshell that they were expecting SEVEN babies. And as you can imagine, the couple was thrilled—and pretty shocked. Expecting one baby is exciting as it is, especially after the journey they’d been on. But expecting seven babies is a very overwhelming piece of news to receive. “After losing the first twins, having multiples made me extra passionate,” Mia said in an interview with *Essence*. Both Mia and Rozonno came from large families, and they had always dreamed of having a big family of their own. Would so many at once be too much for them to handle?

Another Tragic Setback

Having twins is already genetically rare, and to have seven is even more difficult biologically. Mia and Rozonno had been prepared to understand that statistically, not all seven were likely to survive. And they experienced yet another heartbreak when one of their seven was tragically stillborn, but they still had six babies that needed to be welcomed into this world. Mia was determined to deliver six healthy babies and have her dream of motherhood come true, six times over.

Still Optimistic

There are few families out there who have carried six babies to term, so the odds were not in the couples’ favor. But nevertheless, they stayed optimistic. The pair was suddenly about to go from a family of two to a family of eight. They knew the odds were low, and the doctors also had their concerns. But Mia and Rozonno insisted this was meant to be and they prepared themselves to welcome six babies all at once.

Six Little Miracles

On June 9, 2010, their lifelong wish came true. Rozonno Junior, Issac, Josiah, Madison, Elijah, and Olivia were born and the family made history as the first set of sextuplets to be born in Columbus, Ohio. Four boys and two girls filled their days with joy and happiness. All six kids, right from the start, had their own unique personalities. “When I first met the babies I noticed the different cries. Even to this day, I can tell who’s crying. But even their personalities were immediately obvious,” Mia told *Essence*. And none of the McGhee family could have known that those personalities would soon make them very famous.

Cherishing the Early Moments

The McGhee parents were finally living out their wish. The couple was slowly learning to juggle six newborns, and that can’t be easy. Mia and Rozonno wanted to cherish every single moment because they knew what a tough time they’d had getting to that stage. Amongst all the chaos, they wanted to find a way to cherish those earliest moments forever. They looked for the perfect way to freeze their memories and document the precious newborn stage. And what better way to do that than with a photoshoot?

Capturing Their Joy

Capturing six babies and two parents in one frame seems like an almost impossible task. A self-timer simply wouldn’t suffice so they hired a professional photographer to do the job properly. What the couple didn’t know was the photo from the photoshoot would go viral and create a whole new life for the family. The photographer instructed Rozonno to lie down in the child’s pose yoga position—how ironic. They then placed all six newborns curled up around their father. Two even fell asleep on his back and one on his head! Mia looked lovingly at her husband, and the picture was snapped.

Viral Newborns

The family had no idea the kind of attention this one photo was soon about to cause. The adorable snap was shared on Facebook and sent all across the world. After all, it’s not every day you see a family of six beautiful tiny babies in one family. The photo went viral and news channels and TV shows including *Good Morning America* and WBNS-TV were sharing their unique story. But one particular big name couldn't get enough of the McGhees. Someone with power and influence to catapult this family to stardom.

VIP Attention

Oprah Winfrey came across the photo of the snoozing babies and their parents at the same time as the rest of the world. She knew she needed to have a conversation with the McGhees, so she invited them to make a cameo on her show. Not only did Oprah want to draw attention to the family, but she had other intentions when inviting them to the show. The McGhees' lives were about to change.

The World Fell in Love

People were moved by the family's story and thanks to the generosity of *The Oprah Winfrey Show* audience, they not only got praise for being amazing parents, but they also received hundreds of donations after the show. They received car seats, clothing, baby bottles, boxes of diapers, and more. But that wasn’t the end of their good fortune. Oprah had many more surprises in store for the McGhees—she was just getting started!

Life-Changing Opportunity

Oprah worked her magic and gave the family a generous check for a quarter of a million dollars to manage the financial burden of raising six kids all at the same time. She even brought out Celine Dion to surprise them with a trip to Las Vegas for the honeymoon the couple never had. And that's not all—she gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse that would go on to change their lives forever. Oprah kickstarted their reality TV career by giving them their own show on her production network, following the six babies and their parents filmed throughout their first years, in an access-all-areas series.

Inspirational Parents

You might be wondering how or why they would choose to take on the extra burden of becoming involved in a television show. Raising six kids is already tough enough! But the parents explained that before meeting Oprah, they never even realized what an impact they could have on people across the world. “We received thousands of emails from people all over the world telling us how our story inspired them. It really inspired us to want to do a reality show and we do feel like we have a story to tell that can help other people”, Mia told *Ebony* in an interview.

Green Light for Television

Ro was also on board because he knew their story was unique and their struggle could inspire people to power through their own. “It made us feel so good to know that people wanted to continue on in their journey to have children because they saw that we can do it and they can stay married too and raise a family too”, he told *Ebony*. After filming the kids' first two years of life, by 2012 they were ready to showcase their big, beautiful family on television. They went from just the McGhee family to the *6 Little McGhees*. And it was an instant hit!

Six Little McGhees

Bringing up a unique family like theirs was almost unheard of, so it made for perfect television. In the first reality series of its kind, audiences fell even more in love with Mia, Rozonno, and their children. The show documented all the triumphs and day-to-day struggles of raising sextuplets because going from zero to six in an instant requires a lot of learning. We watched as they navigated the busy schedule of being new parents and running their carpet-cleaning business simultaneously. Mia got pretty good at balancing her babies and she even told Oprah that she could change six diapers in just ten minutes! Now that’s impressive.

"Growing Up McGhee"

After going through the terrible twos in front of the world, that wasn’t the end of their television journey. Two seasons later on the Oprah Winfrey Network, *6 Little McGhees* was taken over by a new network with a new title. Mia found it impossible to balance a full-time job and six little personalities. She became a stay-at-home mom, dedicating all of her time to raising her children. *Growing Up McGhee* saw the family through two more years on the UPtv channel where we only fell more in love.

Beautiful Family

Could you imagine literally balancing six children at once? Each parent feeds two babies, then once they’re done, feed two more—we’re exhausted just thinking about it. By the time they’re done, it’s already time to feed them all over again! Growing up as reality stars meant the kids were no strangers to the camera. They had been the subject of a TV show literally since they were bornm but eventually, everyone ignored the cameras and it just became a natural part of their life. They were realistic and down to earth, which made the family so likable.

Another Hit

We watched as the kids went through each milestone and grew into their big personalities. Mia had a tight schedule to manage all the tough mothering stuff, like bathing, feeding, and trying to get six kids to sleep. She was showing us important lessons, her self-confessed most important being, “take it one day at a time”, Mia told *The Morning Blend*. There’s no shortage of chaos, but they’ve all grown through their challenges along the way. Not only did they grow up as a happy family, but they also all became television stars. Mia and Ro’s charm made them a hit with audiences worldwide.

Valuable Parenting Advice

Everyone’s new favorite parents were soon being interviewed by different networks to promote the new series of their show. As the kids turned five, Ro told *The Morning Blend* his most important lesson: “You don’t have to be perfect to be a parent”. If anyone would have essential tips on parenting multiple babies, it’s these two. And their babies aren’t so tiny anymore! By 2016 they were one of the most famous big families in the United States and it was all because of the unique photo that went viral.

Recreating the Viral Photo

Mia wanted something special to celebrate their new series. Remember that picture of the kids sleeping on their father? They honored the moment that made them famous by recreating their iconic family photo, using the same photographer and studio. Just in time for their sixth birthday, the McGhees piled up on their snoozing dad once again. It was a special moment that photographer Brian Killian remembers well. "We knew that one was special," he told *TODAY* about the original photo he took of the McGhees. "People still remember seeing it six years ago. To have six little babies asleep on their dad—that's a unique portrait," he recalled.

Happy Family

The new photo captured a moment for the parents to cherish for life. It also made its way onto social media and brought the world right back to where we first fell in love with the McGhees. We hope they have both framed in their home! With their now grown-up six, the family definitely has their hands full. Mia and Ro say having such a big squad and learning to navigate being a family of eight has only made them stronger as a couple.

Tropical Vacation

For this gorgeous family, good fortune just kept coming. Mia never got the fantasy wedding of her dreams because the pair were young and saving money, so Mia married Rozonno in a courthouse all those years ago. They never expected to get some of the opportunities that their TV show brought. In 2017, they took their whole clan on a plane to the island of Turks & Caicos where they renewed their wedding vows in a beautiful ceremony. Being able to do so in a tropical paradise with their six kids made the moment even more special and it made for the perfect series finale of *Growing Up McGhee*.

Does It Get Easier?

Years after the family left our screens, you might be wondering how they’re doing. Of course, every family has their own problems but when there are six children, things can get especially hectic. “Many people ask me if it's easier now that they're older, but I beg to differ," Mia told *TODAY* in 2020. The parents struggle with every little childhood issue like every other family, but six times over. “They have their own opinions, personalities and identities ... our household is in a bit of an uproar. It truly is Ro and I against them,” Mia explained. The family of eight certainly has no shortage of chaos.

A Mini School

During the pandemic, the McGhees had to homeschool the kids. Their house became a small school and having six rambunctious kids home all hours of the day certainly took its toll. Mia and Ro’s patience and strong bond kept the family going and they leaned on each other for support. They’ve said all along that their strong beliefs were what made the family so happy and successful. All the kids take part in their household chores, but along with all the downfalls of having such a big family, the McGhee super six all get the joy of having five best friends built in right beside them.

All Grown Up

Mia and Rozonno McGhee bravely shared their story of loss and unlikely miracles, and brought the world along for their entire journey. They gave us an intimate look into the beginnings of their unique family and how it’s been going ever since. It might make you feel old to know that the super six are almost in their teens now! As for the parents, Ro is back to running the family’s carpeting business, and Mia graduated from law school, so everyone is doing very well.

Looking to the Future

Although they’re no longer on our TV screens, the family are still active online. They’re regularly posting cute updates and gushing about their love for each other on Instagram to Mia’s 25,000 followers. We have loved watching this beautiful family grow for over a decade, and wish them all the best for the future. They showed us that whatever challenges might surprise you in life, anything is possible. Their story is a real example that dreams can come true, no matter the odds.