California Couple Decides to Hold on Retirement for Orphaned Siblings

One California couple had done everything right for their grown children. They all left the nest and had their own lives. Therefore, the only thing left to do was start the retirement process. While they began saving and wondered if now was the time to stop working, they heard something that changed their minds.

Seven siblings were now in need because they had lost their parents in a horrific car accident. The couple couldn’t let the kids suffer and gave them a new home, putting their retirement on hold to help raise them. This is their amazingly inspiring story.

Preparing to Be the Empty-Nesters

One couple in Menifee, California, was now preparing for retirement. Gary (52) and Pam Willis (49) had already led an amazing life, raising their children to adulthood. Gary had been a U.S. Navy veteran, and they had experienced major landmarks in their life so far.

The Retirement Idea

The couple had lived in a six-bedroom home that accommodated their five children. Andrew, Matthew, Sophia, Sam, and Alexa were all adults now and had moved out. Since Pam and Gary were on their own for the first time in a while, they focused on retirement.

Facebook Changed Their Minds

While the couple didn’t know it at the time, their lives were likely to change from one Facebook post. Pam scrolled through her news feed in 2019, coming across something about foster children. There were three sisters and four brothers who required a forever home.

The Need

Pam couldn’t help but look at those children’s faces and become sad. When she immediately saw the kids, she was heartbroken. She explained to The Sun that she realized those poor kids needed their forever home.

Their Story Resonated with Her

These seven children unexpectedly got orphaned in May of 2018. Their parents had been in a fatal car crash. While the children were wounded, they all survived, getting treated at the hospital before moving to the foster care system.

No Explanation

Pam happened across the Facebook post online and saw that these children were up for adoption and needed a new home. She said she couldn’t explain it, but she knew instantly she was supposed to be their new mother.

Considering Adoption

While adoption hadn’t been part of their original retirement plan, Pam considered it very carefully. Her heart just broke for the beautiful seven children who had been in foster care for about a year up until that point.

Crazy Wife

Pam shared the post, tagging her husband and hoping he might realize her intentions. She said she believed that Gary might think she was crazy to do that because they were preparing to retire. Plus, it’s a huge risk to decide anything that fast.

Gary’s Surprise

Pam worried that her husband might not agree to that spur-of-the-moment idea to adopt. However, when Gary came home, she got the surprise of her life. He just looked at his wife and said they should adopt the children.

No Hesitation

Gary didn’t hesitate at all about adopting the seven children after they had gone through so much. Pam said he blew her mind at the time because she thought she might have to convince him first!

Didn’t Think Twice

Gary and Pam didn’t hesitate one second to start the process of adoption. Pam claimed that it was just a moment where they felt that was their calling. God wanted them to do it, so it had to be done!

No Empty House

Neither person wanted to retire and live in an empty home. She hated the idea of that huge six-bedroom home standing empty because her children were already grown and had moved out. What’s the point of having those rooms with no one living in them?!

Not the Only Couple

That night, Gary and Pam called the phone number at the bottom of the Facebook post to express their interest in the children. However, they learned that they weren’t the only ones. The adoption agency had received thousands of calls about those kids.

Couldn’t Give Up

The couple wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Pam called the adoption service each week to show that she really wanted to help the kids. Plus, she reminded them that she’d raised her own kids and had experience with foster children.

Years of Fostering Experience

Gary and Pam had many years of fostering experience under their belts. They had a large house, so they often housed two to three foster children at a time. Therefore, their biological children had foster siblings and were comfortable with it.

Family or Friend

Most of the foster children got adopted by close friends or family members, but those seven children didn’t have anyone else to help them. Their only hope was adoption, and Gary and Pam were willing to take all seven together.

They Finally Meet

After a few more weeks, Gary and Pam got permission to meet the seven children at the adoption center. These kids were Xander (4), Leo (5), Aubriella (7), Anthony (8), Aleecia (9), Ruby (13), and Adelino (15).

Instant Love

Pam recalls that it was instant love from the moment they saw them. She looked at her husband, and they both knew that they were amazing children, and that was the right thing. They were even more motivated to adopt now!

Pam and Gary Are Chosen

After two months of interviews and screenings, Gary and Pam were approved to adopt those kids. Now, they could all move in together. Pam claimed that they were theirs from the moment they met them. It was a forever commitment!

Much Work Ahead

The couple realized that there was still a lot of work to do. Through the screening, the husband-and-wife team learned that the seven kids had experienced tons of trauma, and it wasn’t all about the car crash.

Difficult Life

The car accident wasn’t the only problem for the children. Their father (42) and mother (31) struggled with poverty and addiction. Before the accident, they had trouble finding food and lived in homeless encampments.

Injuries on the Heart and Body

Pam knew they had to be open to anything because of all the trauma the children suffered. They had been in the car accident and had all been injured. They experienced the hospital and had been through so much.

Struggle to Adjust

Once the kids moved in with the Willis family, they had to adjust in various ways. The younger children (Leo, Xander, Anthony, Aleecia, and Aubriella) settled in fast. They were easier to connect with because they craved permanency. However, the older ones didn’t trust that it was real.

Parentification Issues

Adelino and Ruby had parentification problems. This means that the child must take over as the parent and handle those responsibilities because the parents don’t or can’t. It’s a hard life.

Couldn’t Be a Kid

Pam said it was hard for the older children to trust because they had so much taken from their lives. Ruby couldn’t be a kid because she didn’t know how. She’d taken on the mother role at a young age.

Frequent Nightmares

The children struggled to adjust for the first six months or so. They couldn’t sleep well and had issues settling in. In fact, Pam talked about a night where Aleecia woke up frightened.

Concerns

Pam said that her 7-year-old came into the bedroom, so she asked if her daughter had a bad dream. She said she hadn’t but wanted to know her mom was still there. They just couldn’t believe they now had a forever home, food, and clothes.

Happy Now

While it took time for the adopted children to adjust, they are now feeling much happier. They call Pam their mother and Gary is now dad. Plus, the almost-retired parents say that the kids are a joy to be around.

Thank You

Pam said she’s starting to notice that the kids are incredibly happy, so that makes the adults happy. The oldest child, Adelino, recently thanked them for giving them that life, and there’s no better feeling in the world.

Older and Younger Siblings

Pam and Gary’s older children immediately bonded with the younger siblings. Since the couple had experience with foster children, the older kids had no problem with the growing family. They all went to Disneyland Resort together and had a blast.

Instagram Sharing

Eventually, the married couple started documenting their lives with the kids on Instagram. Pam told of the adoption journey and the children’s story before. They knew that this was a mission put before them that had to be out there.

We Did

Who could have kept the children together and had the space for them? Who else had the time, patience, and love for that trauma? The answer was clear – they did. Followers of the story were very inspired.

Inspiration and Popularity Skyrocket

The family’s Instagram became more popular because Kristen Bell heard of it. She saw a video they called “Our Life in 15 Seconds.” It started with Gary and Pam meeting in 1988 as teens and ended with them adopting the seven children.

She Shared It

When Kristen Bell shared that video, the number of followers skyrocketed. Now, they’ve got 100,000+ followers, which grows all the time. Sometimes, Pam includes information about adoption and fostering to those who are interested.

Official Adoption

Fortunately, hard times don’t last forever. Eventually, the children learned that their new parents weren’t going anywhere. They all had fun and enjoyed each other, celebrating when the legal adoption was finalized in 2020.

Approved

The adoption was approved in June of 2020. Gary and Pam scheduled a celebration for the official adoption with family and friends. However, they really wished that their five biological kids could be present for the moment.

Not Possible for Reunion

While the Willises wanted their children together, things happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two children lived outside the state, and one had just had their baby. They didn’t give up because they wanted all 12 children together!

The Adoption Anniversary

They couldn’t celebrate on the court day, so Gary and Pam waited for the one-year anniversary. Restrictions had lifted enough by August, so the biological children could travel. They all met in San Diego at the Superior Court of California County.

Livestreaming the Celebration

The Willises chose to set up a Livestream to celebrate with their family and friends. After going to the court building, they headed to a park. They even had a big TV screen so everyone could watch and stay safe during the pandemic.

Happy Family

Their story didn’t end with the official adoption. Now, the seven children have a loving family. The parents still offer occasional updates on Instagram, inspiring others throughout the world. Pam wants their story to encourage others to foster and adopt. Social media is the outlet that helps them open their minds and hearts to others in need.