Couple adopts 5 siblings that had been separated and living in different foster homes

After having three biological children of her own, Andi Bonura was told that she wouldn’t be able to have any more.

So, she adopted.

Now Andi and her husband Thomas claim eight children as her own. The Bonuras have three biological children and five adopted siblings.

“These are their brothers and sisters and there’s no argument,” Andi told “Good Morning America.” “The kids have been through a lot but they’re the sweetest. They’re amazing — and resilient.”

Their eldest child Joey is a twin. His sibling died when he was 5-months-old.

That’s when the family started looking into the adoption process.

“When we lost Eli, we were told we couldn’t have any more children, and we were devastated,” Andi told CBS News. “And we actually started looking at adoption then, but for some amazing reason, we had two more daughters that were a complete shock.”

Doctors told Andi that she shouldn’t have any more children after her daughters were born.

But they weren’t done being parents.

So, they went forward with the process to become foster parents. They fostered two babies that eventually were reunited with their biological families.

They then fostered a newborn out of the NICU. Eventually, they learned that the boy had four other siblings that were all split up in different foster homes.

Andi asked if she could foster all of the children under her roof.

The Bonduras was granted foster custody of three of the siblings. The twins were in another household.

“We still weren’t thinking we were going to have them forever. We were just happy they were together,” she said.

A short time after that, they found out that all five kids would be put up for adoption.

“We had already been meeting with the twins, who are now 8, and we just loved them. They were constantly asking when they were going to move into our house,” Andi said.

So, the Bonduras took in the twins and started the adoption process. Two years later, all five siblings are officially Bonduras.

“We were so excited. We wanted them absolutely from the get-go,” Andi said.

In 2020, the newest Bondura family members were 8-year-old twins Thomas and Carter, 6-year-old David, 4-year-old Gabrielle, and 2-year-old Bryson.

The adoption hearing was over Zoom since it occurred during the pandemic.

The family’s neighbors arranged a car parade to congratulate them. Andi categorized the adoption process as an “emotionally challenging experience.”

“The only reason I made it through all of this is because of the other foster moms and the support we have for each other,” she said. “Honestly, I’m nothing special. If anything, it’s the other moms who encouraged me.”

Still, she said it was well worth it and hopes her story will encourage others to foster, if they can’t adopt, or to help foster kids by supporting their families.

“These kids are just the most beautiful, amazing kids and it’s not their fault. None of this is their fault,” she said. “So, I just hope maybe more people will see the beauty in this and maybe find a way to get involved, even if it’s just support, or being a babysitter for a foster mom, or anything.”

Learn more about Bonuras story in the video below.

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Source: CBS News, Good Morning America

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