For Pennsylvania couple Maxine and Jake Young, 2020 had a surprise in store that seems like fiction until you see it for yourself.
Jake and Maxine got married in 2016, and they have always dreamed of a big family, where there is enough space for both their children and adopted ones.
While the couple were in training for foster parents, they tried to have a child. After many difficulties and IVF, their long-awaited first child, Henry, was finally born.
A year later, when they completed all the procedures related to adoption, 4 more adopted children appeared in their house: 2 boys and 2 girls.
The house, full of children’s laughter, daily mayhem and parental smiles, was soon in for a big surprise. Maxine found out she was pregnant. Naturally, without IVF and other interventions. Quadruplets!
“Of course, for us, it was a shock,” said Maxine later. “But we are grateful to life for its gifts.” The mother of five gave birth to four more on July 31, 2020, at 32 weeks pregnant.
The kids spent some time in the intensive care unit, but then they finally went home.
“Meeting the babies was an unforgettable experience. All the difficulties of the previous months were instantly gone, and suffering and worry were unimportant. Everything we endured at that point seemed to be worthwhile. At that moment, everything we went through was worth it,” shared the mother of now 9 children who appeared in her life in less than 3 years.
“Of course, raising so many kids is not easy. They, like any children, also quarrel and throw tantrums. I try to organize things in a certain way so that I can spend time with each of my children every day. But still, sometimes I go to bed with the feeling that I did not cope. “You are the best mother in the world”, – Elle, one of my daughters came up to me and hugged my neck. These words make me tremendously happy and remove all of my exhaustion and unhappiness.”
“I was very worried about how the relationship between the children would develop, because half of them are biologically ours, and four are not. We have always tried our best to let all of our children know that in this home, love makes a family. That they are all equal, that they all hold the same special place in our hearts. But still, I was worried. It turned out that this was not necessary. They are happy to see each other’s smiles, they miss each other, they are happy.”
“I still can’t believe that I have so many children. For many, 5 children is already a lot, but I have 2 times more. To be honest, the only thing I’m nervous about is… Our future food bill. I’m afraid to imagine how much 6 teenage boys and 3 of their girls will eat. But this is all nonsense, of course. Most of all, I want to see how friendly they grow up.”
