An American couple in their 50s adopts seven children who were orphaned in a car accident - Pam and Gary Willis were actually preparing for their retirement.
Munich - There are events that thwart all plans and mess up your own life. This is exactly what the couple Pam and Gary Willis from California are experiencing. He is 53, she is 50 years old. Five children raised together. For both of them the meaning of life. While many parents are already overwhelmed with one child, Pam was always convinced that she could have managed 5 more offspring.
In addition to their own five children, Pam and Garry had also repeatedly taken in foster children.
On their Instagram account, they explained that they are still looking forward to their retirement and that their youngest child would soon move out of their six-bedroom house to go their own way.
But somehow the fate of Pam's Lionheart must have learned when it drew their gaze on a Facebook post.
On it: seven children who lost their parents in a car accident.
Seven in one go: "I just knew that I should be your mother"
The Facebook post was looking for permanent homes for Adelino (15), Ruby (13), Aleecia (9), Anthony (8), Aubriella (7), Leo (5) and Xander (4).
After the loss of their parents (Merkur.de * reported), the seven siblings were housed in foster families for over a year.
"I can't explain it - I just knew I should be her mother," Pam tells the Today news portal.
"I couldn't stop staring at their faces."
As reported by "Today", Pam never spoke to her husband about the subject of adoption and feared that he would declare her crazy if she asked him about it;
“We wanted to prepare for our retirement”.
Even so, she tagged Gary in the Facebook post.
But as an absolute family man, her husband was also enthusiastic about the idea.
“We both felt it was God's will.” However, when they called the number on the ad, they were first told that thousands of other people had already applied for adoption.
However, due to their financial independence and decades of experience in caring for children, the orphans were finally awarded to them.
Adoption is charity: Willis' family history brings hope worldwide
The initial rapprochement, however, was not child's play.
The seven siblings were not only orphaned, they had previously lived with their biological and addictive parents in homeless shelters and had to fight among themselves for food.
Her mother was 31 and her father 42 years old when they were killed in an accident.
“I think they had doubts about our reliability.
As if we would let them down again soon, "USA Today" quotes Pam Willis.
“I think it's hard to trust someone when so much has been stolen from you.
Ruby had no chance of childhood.
At a very young age she had to take on the role of mother for her siblings. "
Pam and Gary now have over 100,000 followers on Instagram, where they document their second family life.
Pam also revealed there that the children moved in with them on June 7, 2019.
'We knew deep down that this mission was ahead of us.
Who would hold them all together?
Who would have the place for them?
Who would have the time, love, and patience for their trauma?
If not us, then who? "
The story of the Willis family inspires thousands of people, including actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Hollywood star Goldie Hawn, who interviewed Pam Willis on her podcast and thus gives the world something that it can probably use most in these times: hope!