Patty and Carlos Hernandez from the USA are parents of 16 children. And as if that wasn’t odd enough, there’s something behind the children’s names too.
North Carolina – In the home of the Hernandez family in the US state of North Carolina, it’s not easy to get bored, let alone calm. With 16 children between the ages of 1 and 14, chaos is always guaranteed. Patty and Carlos Hernandez are both 40 years old and proud of their little rascals. Patty Hernandez tells Britain’s The Sun newspaper, “I’m 14 years pregnant and I feel blessed, lucky, excited and glad that I’ve been chosen to have my 17th child.” That’s right, the Hernandez aren’t thinking about going after 16 put an end to children. Patty is already pregnant with her 17th child after the youngest Hernandez Clayton was born in May. Not everyone understands American family life.
USA: 16 children and still no contraception
According to Patty and Carlos Hernandez, they are often convicted. The 40-year-old mother says: “We are judged by people, but they don’t count for us. Because all that matters is that God has chosen us to bless us,” she tells The Sun. The two belong to the Christian Pentecostal movement in America and reject contraception. This is how Patty is practically permanently pregnant, to which she says: “I know that I am really fertile.” And after scion number 17 it should by no means end, because Patty and Carlos are not only with great fertility, but also with blessed with great lust for one another. “We ask God for baby number 18 if it is His will. But we are open to more, hopefully. We want an even number and three more boys – 10 and 10,” explains the mother of 16.
The Christian Pentecostal Movement in the USA
Pentecostalism is in the evangelical wing of Protestant Christianity and has enjoyed great growth in recent years. The Encyclopedia of Religion and Society speaks of 10 million to 29 million adherents in the United States alone. For all manifestations of the movement, the Holy Spirit plays a central role, as well as the procession speech, a special way of praying.
Pentecostal conservative attitudes are reflected in their moral beliefs and beliefs. They hold very traditional views on issues such as the role of women, homosexuality, abortions and sex outside of marriage. (Source: Encyclopedia of Religion and Society)
All children in the American extended family start with a C
For 16 children, 16 names have to come to mind first. But Carlos and Patty made it easy for themselves. All previous children start with a C – in honor of their father Carlos. The names of the six boys and ten girls include Christopher, Carla, Caitlyn, Cristian, Celeste, Cristina, Calvin, Carroll, and Caleb. Baby number 17 will be named Carter as a boy or Clair as a girl, in line with family tradition.
With 16 children, there are also a lot of household chores and costs. According to Patty, she spends just under $900 a week on groceries alone. She also does the laundry four times a week and folds laundry for up to five hours every two days. The Hernandez own a cleaning business, so Patty points out that they can afford this lifestyle without any financial support from the state. By the way: the mother drives the school-age children to class every day in a 20-seater bus. There is a sign next to the license plate that reads “Jesus is King”. Whether the Hernandez really end their family planning with the 20th child is anyone’s guess – at least there are more than enough names with C.
