A mom of 17 and her husband, who feel blessed by their ever-expanding family, are continuing to uphold a tradition since giving birth for the 17th time: every baby has a name beginning with the letter “C.”
Patty Hernandez, 41, is originally from Guatemala, and her husband Carlos, 40, is from El Salvador. They’ve made their home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and have welcomed each of their children with open arms.
According to Patty, the family’s special tradition of having every child’s name begin with the letter “C,” all began with wanting to honor Christ and her husband, Carlos, 40 when their first baby was born. After that, the tradition just stuck.
Their latest arrival, Cannan Abraham Hernandez, was born on Feb. 26 at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces (approx. 3.34 kg).
“Everyone is anxious to meet him, super excited,” Patty told The Epoch Times. “Now we just leave everything to our Lord, and maybe we will be meeting baby 18 in 2024!”
The couple has three sets of twins: Carla and Caitlyn, 12, Calvin and Catherine, 8, and Caleb and Caroline, 5. Their remaining children, descending in age from 14 to newborn, are: Carlos Jr, Chris, Cristian, Celeste, Cristina, Caroll, Camilla, Charlotte, Crystal, Clayton, and baby Cannan.
“Sometimes we do get confused when calling names,” Patty said.
Patty and Carlos run their own business, God’s Cleaning Company, and do not receive government support. They always knew they wanted a big family but never thought God would bless them with so many kids.
As their brood grew to 15 kids in 2020, the couple was shocked to discover Patty was expecting again.
“It was a big surprise how God was blessing us with one more,” she said. “I had a really good pregnancy, thanks to God ... just that it was the longest pregnancy ever.”
Patty delivered baby number 16, Clayton, on May 5, 2021, at 42 weeks gestation. Hers and Carlos’ children, all close in age, share a unique and tight-knit bond.
“They love each other,” Patty said. “The best thing [about] being a mother of 16 kids is that I feel blessed ... because at the end of the day, we manage everything.”
The Hernandez household wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for school. After the school run, Patty and Carlos return home to take care of their seven youngest before nap time in the early afternoon. Every child has their own chores, but running such a huge household incurs equally huge bills. They spend over $500 on food every week, not including diapers.
Their strong Christian faith makes taking care of 17 children a blessing, not a chore.
“We love the Lord,” Patty said. “Everything is in teaching them about the Bible. We want them to be good people, that is one of the best bonds we share.”
Patty shared that they’re open to having more children.
“We'd be more than happy to welcome all the kids [God] wants to bless us with!”
