Hershey, Pa. -- Jon and Kate Gosselin spent several months at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in 2004 leading up to and following the arrival of their sextuplets on May 10 of that year. Already the parents of twins, the Gosselins and their family's story struck a chord with the public and became an interesting premise for a reality TV show on cable channel TLC that has taken off over the past year or so.
As stated on the network's Web site for the show, "With sextuplets and twins, the Gosselins are hardly your typical American family. Jon and Kate are the ambitious parents of this adorable bunch and they are battling all odds to make sure their brood has a normal, happy childhood."
The Gosselins have returned to the Medical Center in the past to visit and thank the medical staff who helped with the delivery and care of the sextuplets. This year, the Gosselins brought their inquisitive young children to the neonatal intensive care unit to show them where they spent the first days and, in some cases, weeks of their lives.
In spring 2008, the TLC production crew contacted the Medical Center to ask if they could bring the show onto campus to film an episode featuring some of the physicians and staff involved in their care in 2004. The goal was to capture the sentimental, emotional experiences that the Gosselins went through four years ago, and to reminisce with their care team. This summer, the Gosselins and all eight children came back to campus with cameras and microphones, met with several members of their care team and toured a few areas of the Medical Center that had once been their second home.
On Labor Day (Sept. 1), TLC will premiere the "Jon & Kate + 8" episode titled "Kate's Labor Day," which features Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The show, now in its third season, airs Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Additional air dates and times of the show are available online here.
Additional stories on the Gosselin sextuplet's birth at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center are available at http://live.psu.edu/tag/$Hershey_multiple_births.