Jeane and Paul Briggs from Falling Waters, West Virginia, transformed the meaning of the word adoption. In all they have thirty four children, yes, I wrote the number correctly. They had five of their own and then adopted twenty nine children from all over the world. Jeane always knew she wanted a big family, but didn't know how big. In 1985 she found out through her church that a blind 2-year-old Mexican boy with severe brain damage was up for adoption. She traveled to Mexico and adopted the boy! He was the first, but obviously not the last. The couple is ready to adopt baby number thirty five, an infant without arms and legs from Ghana.
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The beauty of this couple is that they focused on those children nobody wanted. They adopted teenagers and kids with learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome and many other health problems. They gave a chance to those kids who always felt like garbage. Paul has a very good job in a credit card company and they spend his entire salary on the children. They are thankful for his job because they are able to afford their big family. The company offers a very good health insurance plan which they use all the time to treat the special needs of their children.
In my humble opinion Jeane and Paul are saints. I have two children and sometimes I feel overwhelmed, I can't image how it is with thirty four! Leah, Natalie, Rachel and Catelyn were adopted from the Ukraine when they were in their early teen years. The four girls said they couldn't believe Mamma Jeane and Daddy Paul wanted to adopt them. They are all in their twenties now and they adore their parents. They rescued them and offered them a life filled with love and comfort. Just beautiful!
The couple and twenty four of their children live in a 5,000 square foot home. They were able to renovate and expand their home thanks to Paul's inheritance. His job also gave him $10,000 for adopting each child, which helped to cover the initial expenses. Like any family, not everything is perfect in the Briggs home and with that many children there are troubles, but overall they are a happy bunch. I love what this couple has done. Jeane says that her children are the air that she breathes and she can't imagine a life without them.
Images via Jeane Briggs /Facebook
