Dionne Quintuplets
I am reading a book set in the 1930s and 40s and it makes mention of the Dionne Quintuplets who were quite a hit in those days, so I wondered whatever happened to them?
The Dionne Quintuplets were born on May 28, 1934 in Corbeil, Ontario, Canada. They were the first quintuplets to survive infancy and are the only known identical quintuplets. The babies were born premature and the family consisted of five previous children as well. The parents were not well off and no one expected the girls to survive. The Ontario government stepped in and took custody of the girls. The government claimed that this would avoid exploitation, but the government soon found it could make millions from the girls. They were housed in a private nursery and cared for by nurses. visitors came twice a day to watch the girls play. Almost three million people came to view the girls from 1936 to 1943.
In 1943, the girls mother won custody of the girls and the whole family moved into a big mansion. Later the girls would claim sexual abuse by their father, and being treated unfairly with more chores and less privileges as the other children. Instead of being treated as individuals, the girls were often treated as one and dressed the same.
Two of the five are still living, Annette and Cecile (both married). Emilie died in 1954 as a result of suffocation. She was prone to seizures and had a seizure while her face was on a pillow. Unable to move her head, she suffocated. She was a postulant as a convent and the nun who was supposedly watching her had stepped away. Marie died in 1970 from a blood clot to her brain and Yvonne died in 2001 from cancer.
The girls wrote two books, We Were Five and Family Secrets, both out of print. In 1998, the Annette, Cecile and Yvonne accepted a deal from the Ontario government for $3 million for compensation for being exploited as children.
I still can over cant get over what these women went through.:( Its a very sad story.
beautiful! they are the most butiful little girls i have ever seen, and even as older adults still very very pretty!!
Wow. I’ve only come across the Dionne Quintuplets in my grade 11 course and didn’t think they were that significant. But to think that they really had such a miserable childhood! They look so innocent and pure as children, too. Sad, indeed.
there story is so sad and tragic omg. god bless the sisters that are liveing . 3 mil. not a nuff for what thay went true . lord have mercy on the ones that did this to these lil girls
what a sad, sad commentary on human value. my mom was born in 1932 and remembers the story well. she grew up to defend women’s rights, civil rights, children’s rights. my sister’s and i have a deep respect for all walks of life. as adults, we have a responsibilty to protect our children, our neighbor’s children and children world-wide. it is incomprehensible to fathom what these sisters endured, not to mention the impact it had on the other siblings.
i cant believe what these people did to the Dionne Quintuplets. There human being not animals for them to put them in a cage. They have rights like we do but i hope when they were growing up they realize what they did to the Dionne Quintuplets that the girls shouldnt do that to other people dont treat other people like that. Now your are still beautiful like you were in your childhood just keep on living your life
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This is a very sad story but a good story for people to realize and think that they shouldnt leave there kids with a stranger maniac to fight for there kids if its the last thing you have to do.
We touched on an advertising of Palmolive with them on it, but its only until now that I have done some reasearch. what terrible childhood, poor them. but they were adorible; always smilling, joyful and happy, but this is yet again a nother example that there is more than meets the eye.
the years before 1960 for especially girls sometimes boys were what todays called abusive. at age 8 up at 4am pick cherries then to the canning room to pit
cherries.
pull a sack on the shoulder to pick cotton at age 12.
whippings on the bare back of a 8 year old. work in hot summer sun
hoeing potatoes whipped to stop to get a drink used bible scripture to
control . then demand care of these abusive parents in old age.
boys were done no less the beatings the hunger the filth no tv no radio
no books no sheets on beds no underclothes for girls .
ragged dirty no electric no heat in winter no indoor water or toilet
animals put in sack thrown in creek to drown.
go to church and pray to not be so bad.
no refridgerator no bus service . dumped in bd. school made to work
for rm. and bd. not allowed girls to be educated.
put out soon as old enough law allowed.
hide from parents or wife hide from husband from abuse.
live on gravy and rice and biscuits and potatoes. made fun of by peers.
shoe soles full of holes. clothes passed down to girls that fit old women
clothes to big. moved every 3 months. afraid, hungry ignorant not keep up experiance wise with peers. every thing of the world was a sin.
severe guilt put on a child called carnal born bad. no medical care no dental care
not allowed to talk to boys afraid of males.
then asked to care for them in old age. inheritance stolen that was from grandma.