There are so many reasons why couples decide to adopt kids. Some of them want big families while others adopt because of infertility struggles.
Gabrielle and Shannon Fessenden always wanted children.
Even after having their biological kids Scott and Gianna, they still felt that their home could accommodate more. They began their adoption journey around 2012.
Gabrielle saw the photos of three kids on the website of the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange.
In an interview with WZZM 13, she shared:
“Found their picture on my lunch break one day at work, and I thought, these kids are going to be separated. They need a home and nobody will take them. I went home and talked to him [Shannon] and I thought he was going to tell me I was crazy, and he was like ‘those are our kids.'”
Right after seeing the kids, they knew they belonged to them.
So, they asked for the help of the largest private foster care and adoption agency in Michigan, and Samaritas was kind enough to lend a helping hand. They assisted the couple during the entire process.
It wasn’t until later that they realized their three new children actually had more family members.
And they didn’t have the heart to keep them separated from each other. The couple decided to take everyone in – a total of six kids ages two to 15.
In the same interview, Gabrielle said:
“Their other biological siblings came along as the years went on. We didn’t necessarily plan on continuing to adopt, but we were open to that. That was our hearts’ desire to keep them together as siblings when they moved in.”
The process wasn’t easy.
In fact, it took seven long years for all six kids to be finally adopted into the family. Although it took a long time, the couple considers everything worth the hard work.
Life with eight kids isn’t easy either.
Gabrielle told GMA:
“It’s never quiet. There’s lots of love and chaos.”
However, they work as a family. They help each other out. The older kids, for example, look after their younger siblings.
Gabrielle explained to WZZM 13:
“Now you have the older sisters that help the little ones get their shoes on in the morning, so there are those little blessings.”
The couple hopes to inspire other people to do the same thing.
For them, even though taking care of many kids isn’t easy, it’s something you’ll feel grateful for your entire life. Each kid they adopted is unique and special. They consider it one of the reasons why their lives are so much better now.
“You’ll never regret loving a child at the end of the day; you just don’t. I don’t think there’s ever been a minute, where even on our worst day ever, we’ve have sat down and said ‘what did we do?’ Never. These kids are a love and a joy and they’ve blessed us far more than we’ve blessed them. It’s hard to remember life before them.”
Watch the full heartwarming story below!
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Source: WZZM 13, Good Morning America, YouTube-Good Morning America
