It’s always heartbreaking to learn of stories about stolen childhoods and how so many people grow into adults who are forever changed by that pain. Sometimes there’s something missing, sometimes there are deep wounds.
Enduring such experiences at the hands of your own family is bad enough, but to have your government join in can make things much worse. Born in Canada in 1934, the Dionne quintuplets were a miracle made real. Five identical babies – all girls – were known as the world’s first set of surviving quintuplets.
Cécile, Annette, Marie, Yvonne, and Emilie were birthed at home in the family farmhouse to parents Oliva and Elzire. The family attracted attention from all over the globe, and an offer was made by the Chicago World’s Fair to put the babies on display. At first their father was interested but then declined to let his daughters participate.
Out of concern for child exploitation, the Canadian government removed the girls from their parents’ custody and made them wards of the Crown when they were just a few months old. The family’s other five children remained in the home.
A nursery-observatory called Quintland was built for the girls’ care where they were constantly being watched, studied, and tested. In addition to the attention they received from doctors and appointed caregivers, they also were a tourist attraction.
Their outdoor play area was where they were displayed to visitors; this happened for nine years. Thousands of people visited this exhibit daily, and it’s estimated that Quintland brought anywhere from 50 – 500 million dollars of revenue to Ontario. Remember, this was in the 1930s. Besides being on public display, the quints were also used in advertisements for a variety of things including dolls, food, soap, and war bonds.
When they were nine years old, the sisters were finally returned to their parents after a custody fight. Now in a new mansion, the Dionne family had a difficult time repairing the damage done due to the long separation.
In the video by CBC News, surviving sisters Annette and Cécile speak on having to live so inhumanely at the nursery, but things were worse in the family household. Even after leaving Quintland, they were still made to travel and do appearances to earn income. In an autobiography, the sisters described the tough life they lived at home.
Today, the sisters are trying to save the farmhouse where they were born. Though the two discuss how painful their childhood was, they feel it is important to retain this piece of history. The house was converted into a museum decades ago but shuttered its doors in 2015.
Local community leaders voted in favor of relocating it, and Annette and Cécile wish for the federal government to cover the costs of maintaining it as a heritage/landmark site. Well-meaning volunteers have also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the funds for preservation.
Now 83, the last two of the famous quintuplets don’t wish to dwell on the hurtful, sad memories of the past. They hope their story serves as a lesson about child exploitation. Watch the video to hear about their lives before and after Quintland, and how they’ve moved forward.
Are you familiar with the Dionne quintuplets? What do you think of their sad but intriguing story – did you soak through some tissues too? Have you read their autobiography? Share with us in the comments!
Source:
PBS