Gosiame Thamara Sithole gained widespread attention in the summer of 2021 by asserting that she had given birth to 10 babies simultaneously. While some expressed joy and offered congratulations, skepticism soon arose about the authenticity of her story, and the truth eventually came to light.
The arrival of children is undeniably a joyous occasion, and welcoming 10 babies at once would be an extraordinary event.
In June 2020, rumors circulated that a 37-year-old woman had given birth to decuplets at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa. The news, initially reported by journalist Piet Rampedi in Pretoria News, claimed that Gosiame Thamara Sithole had delivered the decuplets on June 7th.
According to Pretoria News, Ms. Sithole and her partner, Teboho, residents of a working-class township in the Gauteng province near Johannesburg, were taken aback when they welcomed decuplets, as earlier scans had indicated an expectation of «only» eight babies.
The news of the Temibsa 10, as they were named, making a record-breaking entrance into the world captured headlines globally. The attention was unsurprising given the rarity of decuplets, making it a truly remarkable occurrence.
Pretoria News reported that the decuplets were delivered via C-section, and the pregnancy of three girls and seven boys occurred naturally, without the aid of fertility treatments.
In an interview with Pretoria News in June 2021, Sithole expressed her shock at the pregnancy’s challenges and her hope for a healthy delivery for all her children.
Donations poured in from around the world to support the family, amassing over $70,000 according to BBC.
However, suspicions arose when it was noticed that Pretoria News did not mention the hospital where the decuplets were reportedly delivered. The Gauteng government initiated an investigation, ultimately revealing that no hospital had any record of delivering decuplets.
I’m 18 and obsessed with using sunbeds… but people online are saying I look “burnt to a crisp.”
Megan Blain, an 18-year-old who’s hooked on sunbeds, says she won’t stop tanning, even though online trolls are constantly insulting her. They’ve compared her skin to a “dirty 2p coin,” but she feels stuck in a tanning habit she can’t break.
Megan, from Seaham, County Durham, started using sunbeds at 16 to keep a tan all year. She ditched fake tan products for daily sunbed sessions and even began using tanning injections to get a darker glow. Although she didn’t know much about the risks, she spent up to 30 minutes on sunbeds, sometimes using baby oil to boost the effect.
Teenager Megan Blain, 18, has admitted to being addicted to sunbeds, despite facing harsh criticism online and noticing concerning changes to her skin
Megan said, “I liked how I looked with a tan. I wear bright colors, and the tan made them stand out more. Once I saw how good it looked, I started going to the sunbeds more often.”
But her intense tanning routine has raised health concerns. Megan now admits she’s addicted and has tried to cut back on sunbed use.
She also says the tanning injections make her feel sick, and she’s noticed a strange patch on her skin that changes size. Even though she’s scared it could be cancer, she hasn’t stopped tanning yet. Megan has tried to go to the doctor several times but gets too nervous to go inside.
“I’m the type of person who worries about everything, so it’s strange that I’m not more worried about this patch. I know it could be melanoma, but I still use sunbeds, which shows it’s an addiction. I never feel dark enough,” she explained.
She says she’s stuck in a cycle of overusing sunbeds and taking injections that make her feel sick and unable to eat. She used to go every day, but now she goes about four times a week.
Despite getting negative attention from strangers, with some saying she looks like a “burnt chip” or a “cremated” version of herself, Megan still can’t imagine life without tanning beds.
Megan said, “Everywhere I go, people stare at me. When they say I’m dark, I don’t believe them. I don’t feel dark at all, like I can’t see it myself.”
She admits she wants to stop using sunbeds one day, but she can’t imagine quitting. “I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone because you could get addicted without even realizing it, like I did,” she warned.
Megan has tried to cut down, now only using sunbeds four times a week, and she’s using her TikTok platform to warn younger people about the dangers of sunbed addiction. She’s especially worried because more young people seem to be using sunbeds than older ones, and she knows how easy it is to get hooked.
However, Megan has also faced online trolls who make fun of her tan. Some compare her to “burnt chips” or say her skin looks like a dirty “2p coin.” One person even asked if the sunbeds “cremated” her.
While Megan’s views on tanning have changed, she still struggles to break her habit of using UV lights.
Megan said, “After two years, I’ve changed my mind about sunbeds. If I could go back, I’d never start. Now, it’s not even about wanting to be tan anymore—I just feel like I have to use them.”
She explained that once she’s on the sunbed, it’s hard to turn it off. “I don’t even like using them anymore, I actually dread it, but I feel like I physically can’t stop.”
Another tanning addict, Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, from Belfast, shared her story, saying she feels “lucky to be alive” after using sunbeds almost every day for 15 years. She started at 14 and never used sunscreen during that time. Fionnghuala is now warning others not to make the same mistake, having been hooked on tanning and going to salons up to seven days a week at the height of her addiction.
Leave a Reply