Captions by Glenna Casalme. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 Tonight on Sunday ` up close and personal with Israel Adesanya. (INHALES DEEPLY, EXHALES) I feel being vulnerable and being strong enough to show you emotions is masculine. From unknown Kiwi fighter to UFC superstar. 10, nine, eight... WOMAN: ...seven... He alluded to me very early on that he wanted to be in the UFC. Yeah, and back up! Back up! Back up! It looks really violent. It is very violent, it is. So are you a violent guy? Not even close. And back home in Whanganui... I wanted him to be an accountant. Was it hard for you to fit in here? Yeah, definitely. And I'm not really born to fit in. Brothers know that they can lean on each other and trust each other. And they lost their brothers in the Christchurch attack. That's, like, when my heart dropped. I could see him growing up to be a good person, though. A good person, definitely. Now, with the heart of their community, they're looking to heal. Even making a difference in one of the boys' lives, that would mean the world to me. And Octomom ` what was she thinking? I think I was young, dumb, irresponsible. Now she's supermum. We gotta go now! Inside the craziest household on Earth as Octomom's kids turn 10. REPORTER: Do you ever have to queue for long or wait for a long time to go to the bathroom? ALL: Oh, yes! She's amazing, and I love her. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive and to provide for your family. Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. In just 15 months, Whanganui's Israel Adesanya has nailed it. He's the world champ of a sensational, brutal mix of boxing, wrestling and martial arts. This Kiwi dominates the UFC not just with his fists but with his athleticism and swagger. It's winning him millions of fans worldwide. But as Tania Page reports, the guy brimming with confidence was once the skinny kid who was bullied in high school. We catch up with Israel as he warms up for the biggest fight of his life. (PENSIVE, UPBEAT MUSIC) It's a switch that happens slowly. I start to get real cold. The nerves, they can consume you. Cos it'll be like the bubbles and nerves coming up in the... (INHALES DEEPLY, EXHALES) And you can start to hear the crowd. And everything is telling you not to walk. Everything is saying, 'Don't. 'It doesn't make sense to walk out there. 'It makes no sense at all.' But you know you have to do it. We're on in 10, nine, eight... WOMAN: ...seven, six, five... That's the moment for me where I'm like, 'You can either rise or run.' There's just this tension, and it's just real. It's palpable. Oh, you can taste it. And for me, that's when I start to like` Did I shock you? (BOTH GUFFAW) I can feel it! (BOTH LAUGH) I'm there. (RISING HIP-HOP MUSIC) In just 15 months, Israel Adesanya has become an international UFC superstar. Touted as the future of the sport, he's unstoppable in the ring, outspoken outside it. I don't care what's your race, orientation or sexuality or what, religion or anything, you know. I'm Mr Worldwide. But I'm also proud of my heritage, of my black skin, of a guy who comes from a line of warriors, of kings, of royalty. So when he comes home, do you try and fatten him up? Oh, yeah. All the time. (LAUGHS) He may be king in the ring, but back home in the Manawatu, Mum is the boss. Israel comes home especially for it? Oh, yeah. He looks forward to it. Israel is the eldest of five kids. We eat Nigerian food almost every day. They were all born in Nigeria, West Africa. Life was good. The children we're doing well. But we decided we needed an overseas experience for the children, especially because of their education. So we decided that we were going to emigrate just for the better life. When Israel was 10, they moved to New Zealand. Busy? Oh, mad. Mum Tai is a nurse in A&E at Whanganui Hospital, while dad Femi is a chartered accountant. We feel at home here. We've lived here in Whanganui now for 13 years, and I can only say good things about the place. But for Israel, it wasn't always all good. Was it hard for you to fit in here? Yeah, definitely. And I was trying my hardest to fit in. But... I mean, look at me. I'm not really born to fit in. I stand out like a sore thumb. I didn't realise I was black till I moved here, because... I knew I was black, obviously. I knew my skin colour was dark, but I never knew it was a problem until I moved to New Zealand and kids were always picking on me. And I was always like, 'What's up with that? Why?' I remember a kid from school kept on riding past my house and going, 'Go back to your country, Blackinese.' High school was even worse. So if the library was here and a tuck shop was here, I would go, like, a rat, around the edge of the school, the field, all the way around. Like` You know how a rat kind of scurries to the edge of the walls? Just so I didn't get picked on or I didn't get seen. I was surprised. The reason being that most of these things, when it happened, he didn't tell us. Israel decided he needed to take action. So this is where it all began. Yeah. This is the first Muay Thai gym I attended. The boxing gym was just right there, actually. Yeah, humble beginnings. Did the bullying and racism you experienced lead you here? Mm, it led to it, definitely. But when I moved to Whanganui, there's not really much black people at the time. So I was like, 'Well, I need to protect myself.' Did your mum and dad know what you were up to? Not really, no. I think they didn't find out till close to my first fight. I wanted him to be an accountant. He's about as far from an accountant as it's possible to get! (LAUGHTER) In 2009 Israel entered a martial arts tournament in Auckland. It would change his life. And I begrudgingly agreed to help a guy that I'd never even met, and I went to the fight and had a quick chat to him and stuff. Coach Eugene Bareman was distinctly unimpressed the first time he saw Israel fight. It was a terrible fight. I said whatever positive thing you could say to him to get out of that, like, yeah, and then I moved on, and we went our own ways, yeah. Israel saw things very differently. He might have lost a fight, but he'd finally found his calling. And he came into the room one morning to say, 'I'm out of here. I'm going to Auckland to pursue my fighting career.' I said, 'What?!' My wife started crying. What did you think? Oh my gosh! (LAUGHS) We tried our best to talk him out of it. He was adamant that that was what he wanted to do. We had no choice but to support him. It was difficult, cos he had no job and he wouldn't take any living allowance from government. So we had to support him. He pretty much just walked through the door, and I was like, 'Hey, how's it going?' 'You're that guy that got a hiding.' Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, 'Hey, good to see you again.' And he was like, 'I've come up here to train. 'I've put everything that belongs to me in the back of my car, 'and I've driven up here to come and train at your gym.' But there was more. Much more. He alluded to me very early on when I met him that he wanted to be in the UFC. The UFC ` Ultimate Fighting Championship. Big stadiums, big stars, big money. It's brutal, and only the very best get in the cage. Israel was convinced he could do it. What did you think of that? Nah, well... Very confident? Yeah, Yeah. And I'm not` Yeah, definitely not used to that type of confidence. So you do walk away from conversations like that just thinking, you know, 'Here's another idiot coming in off the street,' sort of thing.' But this guy was different. I remember the first time he held pads for me. I think he was impressed with what he saw, but he never tried to, like` He corrected me but never tried to change me. What Eugene did was, 'Look, OK, you're crazy, but we can work with that.' (BLOWS LAND LOUDLY) How hard are some of those kicks and punches? Pretty hard. Yeah. Pretty hard, especially guys like him that have thinner legs. So it really cuts through the pads, yeah. Yes, he showed talent. But the more important thing that he showed was the commitment and the dedication. He showed heaps of athletic potential. I thought, 'Man, if this guy has the mental fortitude to become a fighter, 'to become a martial artist, he can go a long way.' We started to put a plan in place to get him into the UFC and to the stage that he is now. But to do that required a really extreme form of training, and we're the first ones allowed to film it. Slam it. Slam it. Slam it. They have to push him beyond his limits. 10 seconds! Go, go, go. 10. 10. 10. It's a scary, scary thing. We create a worst-case-scenario environment. That's it. Get ready, get ready. Change! Go, bro. Go, go. Fight! Fight! (BOTH GRUNT) Yeah, and back up! Back up! Israel has to face multiple fighters, one after another, for 25 minutes. It's gonna come down to who's got the biggest gas tank. It's gotta be you! It has to be you! There's, like, six or seven of them waiting. And they're coming in absolutely amped and fresh, and Israel's in there for the whole time. Auto-pilot! One more. For me, I feel like if they can't break me mentally, then one man can't break me mentally. (BOTH GRUNT) Keep moving it! It's just so, so intense. Let's go! Don't crack! Just use your legs. Don't lose your drive. If you come through that, you can come through anything that's gonna happen to you. (GRUNTS) Go from one person to the next. It leaves Israel shattered physically and emotionally. I just saw everyone there, and they were all just supporting me, so it just makes you feel appreciated. Aah. It's just sweat. My eyes are sweating. (CHUCKLES) Damn sweaty eyes (!) (BOTH LAUGH) I get that too. Yeah. (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO) Yeah, mean. I feel being vulnerable and being strong enough to show your emotions is masculine, and it makes me strong. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can find me... Nah, I'm playing. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Is it any wonder that in just six fights, Israel Adesanya has gone from relative unknown to one of the biggest UFC stars on the planet? You look at any of my fights, I'm having fun, like, literally. And it's weird to say, because I'm hurting someone. But I'm not having fun hurting someone; I'm just having fun displaying my skills. And people can't separate that sometimes. They think, 'Oh, you just like to beat people up for fun.' I'm like, 'No, I don't. I'm the worst.' Because it's` It looks really violent. It is very violent, it is. So are you a violent guy? Not even close, I swear. You see anyone try, like... People try me all the time, and I just avoid conflict at every turn. Avoids conflict, maybe. But he's blunt, he's brash, and when you've got a million followers on Instagram alone, it's a fine line. Honestly, I just, like, be me. Cos think about it ` you can't please everyone. So if I'm always trying to please people, then I stay away from my true self and me expressing myself. As your profile gets bigger, can you understand why some people might take offence? Yeah, definitely. Cos I'm moving now into a mainstream audience, more of a household name than I am before. I'm responsible for what I say; however they understand it, that's their problem. So, yeah. Unapologetic and edgy, he's a bona fide superstar... but very Kiwi about it. Do you feel like you've made it? No, I still feel the same. Look at me. I always` This is how I go to Pak 'n' Save sometimes. Like, after a walk like this, yeah, I want to go get some things for tonight, for dinner. And I go to Pak 'n' Save like this ` like, bare feet, muddy, and it kind of hides me in plain sight, cos I look homeless. And I can, like` Sometimes I can hear people, like, in the other aisle like, 'Is that him?' 'Nah, it's not him. Nah, nah, he's got no shoes on.' I believe I'm gonna win, and I know I'm gonna win. But the thing is when I say it, I know it. I know it. The very last thing we do is we have a hug. No words are spoken, but a million things are said. Last month, in Atlanta, USA, Israel faced his toughest opponent yet. Israel Adesanya! It's been described as one of the greatest fights in UFC history. You definitely have to be a bit mad, and you have to be a bit crazy. I don't have to think; I just react. It's like a sixth sense. Israel went to the next level. That was a moment in my life I'll never forget ` when I looked at him and I was like, 'You can't beat me. I'm prepared to die,' and I meant that. Oh my God. I had my head in my hands. UFC Middleweight Champion of the World ` Israel 'The Last Stylebender' Adesanya. We hugged each other. Finally, (CHUCKLES) the fight was over. He's now the Interim Middleweight World Champion. I'm just getting started. This is just another chapter. We're about to write another one, and another one and another one. And I'll close the book when I'm ready. Well, Israel's belt is an interim title while he waits for Robert Whittaker, who's been out with illness, to be well enough. They're planning to face off in October in what will be the first all-Australasian UFC fight, in Sydney. Well, coming up next ` the boys who lost their brothers in the Christchurch terror attack. I mean, he just turned 14. He was so young. This is the first time talking about what I'm gonna miss about him. The process of healing... It just shows, like, the strength of the boys. ...with the strength of a brotherhood. Brotherhood is about being there for one another, through the good times and the bad. (LAID-BACK, LILTING JAZZ MUSIC) (WELDING MACHINE CRACKLES) VOICEOVER: No matter what job you do, it's easy for employers to find you. Be seen with a seek profile. * Welcome back. Being a teenager can be tough ` exams, hormones, social media. It's a minefield. Imagine navigating all of that after losing family members in the Christchurch terror attack. Two months on, life in the Garden City is returning to normal. But these teens' lives have been changed forever. Now they're on a journey to heal. Here's Jehan Casinader. (SOLEMN, PENSIVE MUSIC) If there is a god, you might find him in Arthur's Pass, creeping into the valley at daybreak. Here, in the shadow of the Southern Alps,... (CALLS TO PRAYER IN ARABIC) ...a group of young Muslims are seeking solace. Brotherhood is about being there for one another, through the good times and the bad. Brothers know that they can lean on each other and trust each other and have a solid bond together. But this bond... (SIRENS WAIL) ...was forged in blood. Here are these teenagers who've lost brothers and sisters, mother and father. They're probably a lot more resilient, I think, than what others may think. This is the Rising Leaders programme for young Muslims. (LAUGHTER) We're starting off with a bit of icebreakers, just to break down the barriers. Hi. My name's Ashraf. For a year, this group has been run by Bariz Shah and Matt Barlow ` two Muslim men wanting to help these boys navigate the ups and downs of life. You got a lot of things going on as teenagers, a lot of distractions in life, a lot of challenges. If something happens, you know you can pick up the phone and talk to one of your brothers. So we're gonna go. We're gonna go! One, two! They had no idea that this brotherhood would be sorely tested. For 16-year-old Ashraf, life revolved around his brother, Tariq. As an older brother, what role did he play? Protective. And he gave me good advice. Especially on the football field. I got into football because I remember watching his games. He taught me everything I know. Football wasn't Tariq's only passion. He was so dedicated to his faith. He would always walk from here to the mosque, which would take about an hour. And it didn't matter if it was raining or super hot. He would always do it. On March 15th, Tariq was here at the Al Noor mosque. Usually I go to the mosque with my brother on Fridays. I get out of school. But that one week, I had an English exam. Ashraf was in class when he heard there'd been a shooting. I thought we were still just gonna be able to play indoor football that night and everyone would be fine. But then the longer it went on, the more I was worried about it. I was trying to look for my brother in some of the pictures to see if he was OK and stuff, but I couldn't find him. I quickly rang up Mum. She told me she couldn't contact my brother. And... that's, like, when my heart dropped. Tariq was dead. But his final act was one of heroism. He'd tried to help children to escape the mosque during the gunfire. How does that make you feel? It feels better knowing he didn't just die in vain. I felt thankful that I wasn't here, but then I also feel a bit guilty. That you weren't there with him? Yeah. (POIGNANT MUSIC) Eight weeks on, Ashraf has travelled to Arthur's Pass, two hours west of Christchurch. He's here with a dozen of his Muslim mates. It just shows the strength of the boys, because a lot of them have gone through trauma. So that would have been really difficult for them. For many of these guys, this is the first chance they've had to breathe, really, since the Christchurch attacks. A chance to get out of the city, to be with their mates, a chance to heal. This group has always been really tight-knit. But some of its key members were killed in the attack ` like Hamza Mustafa and Sayyad Milne. He's been annoying, loud but quite fun to hang around with. (UPBEAT ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) Quite sweet, yeah. Quite, like, nice. Shuayb remembers the good times with his little brother. He always told everyone that he wanted to be a football player, but I never really saw it happening. I could see him growing up to be a good person, though. A good person. Definitely. (SOMBRE MUSIC) On the day of the shooting, Shuayb was on his way home from a school trip. My neighbours took me to see my mum, and she was with this officer and she was crying. And that's when the officer said that someone had seen Sayyad at the mosque,... dead. But it still didn't feel real. And not until three days later, when they were actually reading out the names that it really hit me. That he wasn't coming back? Yeah. Sayyad Ahmed Milne. He'd just turned 14 ` second year of high school. Cos he was so young, we haven't even grown up yet. For weeks, Shuayb has been holding his feelings close to his chest. I've thought about talking to people, but I haven't really been asked any questions that have really made me think. Now he's beginning to let go. Just... Just sad. (BREATHES DEEPLY) Some of the boys who have lost their brother, I've actually seen them smiling the whole time. And then some of them, you can actually see them grieving. I haven't sat down and talked with my mum or my sister. Yeah. So it's, like... I dunno. It's pretty raw? Yep. This is the first time talking about what I'm gonna miss about him and stuff like that. Yeah. In the warmth and comfort of a safe space,... (ALL PRAY IN ARABIC) We've just been through a really, really bad time. ...it's easier for these boys to open up. And it's also having the trust that they're gonna respect what you've shared with them and be sensible about what they do with that. For Bariz, these conversations are deeply personal. He moved here from Afghanistan as a child and knows how tough it is to live between two cultures. I wasted about four years of my life where I was quite lost, I would say, and that was because I didn't really have a support system around. My family was there, but you wouldn't consider them as being your brothers. (LAUGHTER) Even making a difference in one of the boys' lives and actually seeing him avoid some of those mistakes that I had made, that would mean the world to me. The Islamic faith and disciplines are at the heart of this community. While on camp, the boys are using this chapel as their mosque. When they stand up for prayer now, everyone's quiet. That's really beautiful to see, and I think that's actually happened because of the event of March 15th. I hadn't really thought too much about my faith. But after what happened, it's definitely meant a whole lot more. These guys are being challenged to step up. My brother was a very good leader, and so to continue his legacy on, I also want to be a better leader. They've still got exams to deal with; they've still got relationships to potentially deal with; they've still got lots of questions about their faith. The challenge is to accept the help that's out there. (RISING MUSIC) I hope for them to become confident young men. I want them to have a support system around them that truly does love them and is there for them, no matter what. I want them to believe in themselves. That would mean for the New Zealand public that they have young people that actually care, genuinely care, about what's around them. These boys walk in the footsteps of Muslim leader Gamal Fouda, whose words at Hagley Park echoed around the world. We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are determined to love one another and to support each other. Their brothers are not forgotten. What do you want people to know about Sayyad? That he was a lovely guy and he'll be missed. But now this brotherhood means everything. They can never replace their brothers, but they can definitely make some more. And the Rising Leaders programme also has a group for Muslim girls. Of course, all of these young people have been encouraged to seek professional help in the wake of the attacks. Well, next, she's known as Octomom ` one of the most infamous mothers on the planet. I don't regret my children ` any of them. As her octuplets turn 10,... ALL SING: # Happy birthday, dear` # ...McCai, Isaiah, Noah, Nariah, Maliah, Josiah, Jonah and Jeremiah. ...we find out what it's like to be the solo mum of 14 children. Now all I have to do is figure a way to bottle up and sell my energy, and then they would be set for life. * Hello again. We know her as Octomom. Natalie Suleman is one of the most famous single mothers on the planet and, for many years, one of the most hated. Already a mum of six, she sparked a media frenzy when she gave birth to octuplets through IVF. But Natalie was determined to prove the haters wrong. Angela Cox catches up with the family as the octuplets celebrate their 10th birthday. # Happy birthday to you` Ow! Ohhh! Mom, are you OK? Are you OK? Yeah. I can't. I'm sorry. I'll do it again. Ready? One, two. # Happy birthday... By any measure, this is a remarkable milestone. The world's only set of surviving octuplets has just turned 10. ALL SING: # Happy birthday, dear` # # ...McCai, Isaiah, Noah, Nariah, Maliah, Josiah, Jonah and Jeremiah. # # Happy birthday to you. # Make a wish! There must have been times when you just thought, 'I can't do this!' Oh, daily. (LAUGHS) I think daily, sometimes. But my kids are my life. OK. Count eight of these ` like, this size ` and then eight kale. And not yet. You already washed it. So put that aside. I gotta change it. Natalie Suleman is better known as Octomom ` the most famous single mother on the planet ` and for many years, the most hated. Jonah, you're so diligent. You'd be a good surgeon. You were getting death threats? Uh, hundreds of death threats. I was terrified, living in a state of terror. OK, spray-wash. We're gonna do all of those. But Natalie Suleman is proving everyone wrong and is managing the unthinkable. Good job, Nariah. Left, right, left, right, left, right. Left, right. Left, right, left, right, left, right. She's successfully raising her little army with military-like discipline. I'm not addicted to chaos. I like control. (MILITARY MARCHING MUSIC) Let's go, guys. Grab it. We've got, like, four already now. Grab it. This is toilet paper. We're almost done. (CHILD LAUGHS) Hi. (REPORTERS CLAMOUR) Hi. How are you doing? Tonight the much-maligned mother... I'm glad I'm never gonna be pregnant again. ...takes us inside her home... (CHEERFUL PIANO MUSIC) ...and reveals how she went from Octomom to supermom. What does Octomom mean to you? It is a caricature that is a hundred per cent media made up. They wanted to set this character up as this shallow, narcissistic, fame-seeking caricature that just had kids to get fame and money. It was actually 100% ` not 99 ` 100% the antithesis, the opposite of who I really am. This is Natalie Suleman ` 33 years old and just three weeks pregnant. And here she is again, a few days before she gave birth. (LAUGHS) She already had six kids at home, ranging in age from 2 to 7. # We'll be a perfect family. # REPORTER: Do you think it'll be fun to have a lot of brothers and sisters like that? No. Why not? Cos there's gonna be a lot of crying. Now, she thought she was having seven more. There's that photo of you while you're pregnant. Right. You are massive. I know! It's horrible. Yeah. She was so big, the drugs she was given during labour weren't strong enough to numb the pain. WOMAN: How you doing? Not good. Doctors were just about to stitch Natalie up when one of them felt another tiny hand reach out. He grabbed` A hand grabbed his finger. He's like, 'There's another baby in there.' Pandemonium erupted. (PANICKED, URGENT SHOUTING) And I was hearing the doctor screaming. She wasn't even talking; she was screaming, 'There is an H?! 'Baby Eight? There's another one?!' So that's when I panicked. (MEDIA CLAMOUR) And it got a whole lot worse when Natalie brought her babies home from hospital, sparking a media frenzy. This is, like, beyond insane. MAN SHOUTS: Get out! Off the property! They're gonna break it down. (BANGING, CLANGING) (BLEEP)! The paparazzi is dangerous at this point. They're trying to break down the garage door. We pulled in here and they're swarming the whole area. Whoa, whoa, whoa! (GENTLE LULLABY) Public fascination quickly turned to outrage when it was revealed the babies were the conceived through IVF and that Natalie was already a single mother struggling to feed six other IVF kids. (SHOCKING MUSIC) GIRL: Look at me. (WAILS) Stop it. CRIES: Mummy! (SHRIEKS) (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Natalie's own mother was her most outspoken critic. You have six beautiful children ` intelligent, smart and beautiful ` and why? Why do this, you know? Now that you have 14,... Mm. ...how are you going to manage? (YELLING, CRYING) Was there any part of you that was slightly unhinged when you made the decision to have this many kids? If I had any mental instability, there's no possible way I could have coped so effectively with the inordinate` Oh wow, 'inordinate' is a euphemism ` stress that I have. (BOTH CRY, SCREAM) Let's try to set the record straight. How did you end up with 14 children? OK. The plan was to have one more only after I'd had six kids, which, even today, in retrospect, is still immature and irresponsible. It was my number one goal to have one more ` not eight more. Natalie says her fertility specialist convinced her, while she was heavily sedated, to have 12 embryos implanted at once. He was investigated and had his licence revoked. Still, Natalie won't call herself a victim. Your eyes are open! Were you selfish having the octuplets after already having six kids? I believe so. Absolutely. Of course. I think I was young, dumb, irresponsible, selfish, reckless, yes. Who is the children's father? The oldest kids, the six oldest, have one donor that was an acquaintance that I had known for, like, 27 years ago. And when I gave my word that I would keep him private, I kept my word, and I always will. So... And that's all I'm gonna say about him. And so for my eight, there is a frozen donor. It was an anonymous donor. ...no blankets. Do you know that? Why are you always so angry? No, I'm not angry. I'm saying they have no blankets. Natalie was single. She had no home and no job. She was living with her mother... My daughter has not contributed anything for rent. ...and trying to work out how to feed 14 mouths. From the very start, Natalie knew she had to sell her story to make ends meet. For the next several years, the world couldn't look away from Octomom train wreck. (CHILDREN YELL INDISTINCTLY) Then along comes this woman who represents everything that's wrong. What kind of whacked-out quack of a fertility doctor would implant at least six embryos in one womb? Somebody did this. Somebody did this? (GASPS) No! Having my pictures on these tabloids, mocking me and making fun of me. So you disassociate yourself. You completely detach... from the world all around. I was so desperate, and so I sold out my character. (SCREAMING) # It's my party and I'll cry if I want to. # (PAPARAZZI CLAMOUR) Hi. Well, next, struggling to put food on the table, Natalie reaches a new low. The only industry that would accept me was the porn industry. I sold my soul to the devil for $8000. Right hand, green. Then, redemption ` helped by her 14 loving kids. She's amazing. I love her. Do you think you're a good mother? What makes you happy? When everything just feels right ` like hitting every green light on the way to work? OK, that'll never happen. But the most stylish and innovative Corolla yet? Yeah, that did just happen. With Toyota Safety Sense technology, like... ...plus Road Sign Assist and satnav, and Voice Recognition technology With Mobile assistant. Ooh. Hello. And those headlights ` three words. All with a Toyota Driveaway Price that just feels right too. * (COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC) Guys, we're leaving in 10 minutes. Do you want to step outside, Calyssa? It's 6 in the morning, and the Suleman house is starting to stir. Soak it. Soak it. Tell the kids ` five minutes. Can I have that one? Move fast. I'm putting my shoes on, then we go. Maliah. Yes? Go. We're really late. Natalie rents a modest three-bedroom townhouse two hours south of Los Angeles. There are only three bathrooms for 15 people. Do you ever have to queue for long or wait for a long time to go to the bathroom? ALL: Oh, yes! While most households struggle with the before-school rush, there is a quiet calm here. We're gonna go. Just eat in the car. We gotta go. Because it takes a military-style operation to get 14 kids out the door for school. Where are the keys? Who has the keys? We gotta go now! Talk me through the school run. I drop off the eight, and then I drop off my high schoolers. I run back to take Elijah to another high school. And then I take the twins to their middle school. So that's three school runs for you. Is that right? Oh, right. Lemme see. One, two` No, two, three, four already. I'm getting tired just having you explain that to me. (LAUGHS) It's a lot. Money has always been tight. Natalie says it costs $5000 a month to run the household. (ROCK MUSIC) But her darkest days came in 2012, when she hit a terrible low trying to keep a roof over their heads. The little kids were turning 2, and I couldn't provide any more. The interviews weren't coming as much and I couldn't work full-time. I had too many little kids. And I was too terrified to go on public assistance because that was one of the primary components of why I was hated, to begin with. The only industry that would accept me was the porn industry. I didn't want to do any porn; I've been celibate for I can't even count how many years. # American woman... # So it was a cheap, self-pleasure video, which is still porn. I'm not gonna euphemistically say it's better than porn. It's not. (ROCK MUSIC) So I hit rock bottom. So how much did you make from appearing in that porn? I made $8000. I sold my soul to the devil ` temporarily, thank the Lord ` for $8000. Natalie even tried stripping. She realised her life had spiralled out of control when she caught her 10-year-old daughter Amerah strutting around in her stripper high heels. When she went upstairs and they went to bed, I was cleaning up and I saw that heel on the stairs, and I picked the heel up` Oh God. SOFTLY: This is when it happened. And I threw it. NORMAL VOICE: All of what I had suppressed ` the anger, the resentment towards myself, the resentment towards the world, it bubbled and boiled up into rage, and that's when it happened. I threw that and I quit. That's the day I killed Octomom. (CHILDREN CHATTER) Ahh! Natalie now makes ends meet working as a part-time counsellor. But she has added burden of caring for her disabled fourth child, Aidan. (BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY, CHILDREN LAUGH) Aidan is severely autistic. He is, like, 18 months in his mind, and he's total care. He sleeps in an adult-sized crib. It's a confronting sight. So it's never occurred to you that he should go in care? I will die taking care of my son. He is my responsibility. All my children are my responsibility. All done. All done. I will always take care of my kids ` forever. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Right hand, green. And the kids love her for it. Right foot, green. I think that she is amazing and awesome, kind. Good, good, good. And she fights for her family. And she continues to now. She's amazing. I love her. She's doesn't get much sleep. Always tired, is she? ALL: Yeah. She's strict and very loving to us. Maliah's the winner! And I love her very much. All of us do. What's it like being one of eight? You're never lonely. You always have` never alone. And you always have someone to talk to, someone to help you and someone to, like, play with you or make you happy. (MADNESS' 'OUR HOUSE') The kids have an awful lot of chores to get through. There's the cleaning,... Let's go fast. Come on. ...the endless rubbish runs... Scrub, scrub, scrub. ...and the ever-growing mountains of laundry to get through. So how often do you have to do the laundry? Oh, every day. Every day. Every day? Yeah. How many loads do you do a day, do you reckon? Five or six. Or seven. Five or six a day?! Yeah. Do you ever get tired from all the chores? No. KIDS: Yes. Sometimes. (GRAND MUSIC) Hey, kids. An army marches on its stomach, and the weekly trip to the supermarket is one long and very healthy march, indeed. Ready guys? Fruit aisle. Forget the junk food. The only treats these kids get are pieces of pineapple in the fruit aisle. How's that pineapple, kids? Good, good. Really good. Everyone get one. There we go. Couple bunches. Their shopping trolleys are loaded up with fresh fruit and veg. That's a lot of radishes. Yeah, those are good. How long are they gonna keep you going? A day. A day? (BOTH GUFFAW) Bottled water,... D'you want this? Yeah, I'll take it. OK, there we go. You just keep going. Grab it. ...and dozens of rolls of toilet paper. One, two, three, four, five, six... 48?! 48 rolls of toilet paper? That'll last for a couple of months. OK. Yeah. That'll last. Feeding a family of 15 an organic, vegan diet makes for an eye-watering grocery bill. $784.73. Oh. That's at least a minimum a week. Let's go fast. Come on. We got one,... ALL: ...two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. We're done. Let's go. (BIG BRASS ENDING) Back home, with the pantry restocked, it's time to get cracking in the kitchen. Eight in here. There's five already. And then find some that look like` There's` There's five right here. Perfect. Little Nariah is the lead chef and ringmaster,... Good job, Nariah. ...wrangling the other kids as they prepare vegan meals for the rest of the family. Flip it. Flip it! Two beets. (CHILD HUMS) I guess try to serve. So there's one kale each kid, one chard` Yes, sweetie, hold on. I want chard. Mom, do we get strawberries? No, just eat it. There aren't enough chairs for everyone. Cutlery is in short supply. But no one is complaining. (ALL CHATTER HAPPILY) Bedtime is usually around 8.30. Like the chairs and the cutlery, there aren't enough beds for everyone. (KISSES) Baby. I do the best I can, and in all honesty, if anyone out there wants to point the finger and formulate some type of judgment, you're absolutely entitled to. But try to live a day in my life. One day. You gotta do what you gotta to do ` to survive and to provide for your family. Do you think you're a good mother? According to my kids, I am. So that's all that matters to me ` what they think. OK, everyone look up at Nariah. OK. Smile! We got pancakes at last! Well, you've done more than most mothers would, in the face of the world's criticism, to raise these kids. Oh boy. (LAUGHS) Yeah, we, um... Sometimes I reflect on that. You know, life doesn't get easier. Nothing gets easier. But we get stronger. We certainly do. Well, good on her. That's absolutely right. And we'll bring you more after the break. * (CHUCKLES) Hello. Hello. Hey. They say language is the gateway to culture. And I have the key. Can I interest you in the big Kiwi breakfast? (PHONE TRANSLATES INTO SWEDISH) (SPEAKS SWEDISH) PHONE TRANSLATOR: Kiwis are endangered, no? (SPEAKS SWEDISH) PHONE TRANSLATOR: I could try a little one. * Nau mai ano. Next week, it's the primary school teachers versus the government ` an industrial dispute that's turned into a battle for the hearts and minds of parents and children. Hi. Take a seat. (CURIOUS MUSIC) You're ready to go? Tss! Teachers. Teachers ` take one. Underpaid and overworked. I haven't had a pay rise in 10 years. We are getting top-dollar education at bottom-dollar price. I'm close to breaking point. And the teachers are the bargain. Sorry. Primary school teachers have had enough. Good morning, Jade. Are you all right? Next week, Sunday goes back to school... Four! As you can see, we don't stop. Yeah. ...to learn about this long-running industrial dispute. It looks like the government hasn't really changed this offer. How do you feel about this right now? (HUFFS) Angry. We'll bring you that story next week. But that's our show for tonight. Do join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram ` SundayTVNZ.