There is no greater tragedy for a child to face than the loss of their parents, but sometimes, the unthinkable can happen.
When seven children from San Diego, California, survived a car crash that killed their parents, their lives as they knew it was ripped to shreds.
The children ended up in foster care, looking for adoptive parents – but who could take on seven children at once?
But when Pam Willis, aged 49, and Gary Willis, aged 52, learned about the children, they knew they had to do something to help.
The empty-nesters, who have five grown-up biological children of their own, were missing the hubbub of having children around the house. They had six bedrooms and nothing to fill them with.
Adopting the children was a risk – but the couple was prepared to take it.
Speaking to Metro about their decision to adopt, Pam recalled:
“When I saw the news about the kids it made me so sad. I looked at them and could see they needed a forever home.
“I saw how much these kids needed someone to love them because they had no one else to go to. I called the adoption service every week to show them how much I wanted to help these children.”
Pam says that from the moment she and Gary first met the children, it was “instant love”.
She and Gary had shared a look, and had known they were “doing the right thing”.
Despite having no plans to adopt at all, everything changed when Pam tagged Gary in a Facebook post explaining that the children needed a home.
Gary had been just as keen as Pam to adopt the children, and so began the long process of meetings, form-fillings and house visits.
But eventually, after months of hard work, June last year saw Pam and Gary become parents of 12.
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The couple welcomed Adelino, 15, Ruby, 13, Aleecia, eight, Anthony, seven, Aubriella, six Leo, five and Xander, four, into their home – and they haven’t looked back since.
Pam and Gary have since set up a Facebook account to share the new family’s adventures, apply named @second.chance.7.
The account is bursting with photos of the family on vacation and posing for funny photoshoots.
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As for Pam and Gary, they remain completely humble about their new role as adoptive mom and dad to the 7 children. On a recent Instagram post, Pam explained that there was nothing extraordinary about them – but that what is amazing is God’s plan.
The post continues:
“I had someone say to me last year that they didn’t understand why I’d say it was God’s plan when that meant that God’s plan was for these childrens’ parents to die in that car accident…
💔
I think sometimes our own choices cause death and God takes care of those who are left behind 🙏🏻
“That’s what I mean when I say this GOD is amazing in His plans ❤
The day I saw the news story about these 7 needing a forever home, something in my heart opened up. By the end of that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about them and wanting to meet them. I already felt a responsibility for them. THAT was God’s plan 🙏🏻”
Continuing, Pam adds that their virtually empty 6-bedroom house and meeting the children at the park 18 months ago was all part of God’s plan – and that the miracle of adoption is amazing.
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Pam couldn’t have said it better. Some situations are simply intended to happen, and through the tragedy of the children losing their parents, it was simply meant to be that two beautiful souls like Pam and Gary would take them into their own home.
You can follow Pam, Gary and their family on Instagram here.
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