When people find out that Anne Belles has 25
sons, the questions begin. Why has she adopted so many
children? And how do she and her husband, Jim Silcock,
manage to take care of them all? To Belles, the answers
are clear.She says that it has been her goal to be a loving
mother since she was 5. At age 9, Belles saw the musical
movie Oliver! and decided that someday she would adopt a
bunch of boys.
In 1998, Belles adopted her first son. Since then,
she and her husband have been taking in boys who have a
wide range of disabilities. Kyle, 26, for example, is
visually impaired as well as deaf. Dylan, 3, has
muscular dystrophy and may live only until age 16. Each
of the children in the Silcock family has special
challenges, and Belles and Silcock are committed to
helping the kids lead full, happy lives.
Each of her children attends regular school and
participates in extra-curricular activities. Some of the
boys' hobbies include karate, theater and volunteer
work.
"My husband and I share responsibilities and use
every free minute we have," Belles explains. When she
hurries off to the drugstore for one son's medication,
she brings another child along to share some quality
time.
Twenty sons still live at home, but Belles has no
plans to stop adopting. "I'm not going for a certain
number, but people keep coming to me from all over the
world with kids that need a home," she says.
"It's sometimes hard to find someone willing to adopt
kids who have a disability or are no longer cuddly
newborns," says Belles. "It's important for people
considering adoption to think about taking in older kids
and those with challenges."
| --By Jeremy Caplan |
April 9,
2004 Vol. 9 No. 23 |
April
9, 2004 WORLD REPORT EDITION
