After neglect and cruelty at the hands of their biological parents and four years in the foster care system, a gay couple from Pennsylvania adopted six siblings so they could grow up together.
Steve and Rob Anderson-McLean of Michigan adopted all six children to prevent them from being separated after leaving the foster system, which is common with big groups of siblings.
Carlos, 14, Guadalupe, 13, Maria, 12, Selena, 10, Nasa, 9, and Max, 7, were adopted by the couple on May 23 as Steve remembered in an emotional appearance.
Following the adoption, one of the brothers exclaimed that he now has a genuine family. After the ceremony, another brother, Max, stated, ‘I’m adopted.’ ‘You can’t possibly be unadopted, can you?’
Steve and Rob Anderson-McLean have been married for 18 years, beginning with a commitment ceremony in 2006 and ending with a formal marriage in Maryland in 2013.
Before proceeding with the adoptions, the couple had previously raised two kids from a previous marriage, Parker, 25, and Noah, 21. When questioned about the significance of the occasion, Steve remembers being affected when staring into the eyes of his new kids at the adoption ceremony.
‘The court inquired,’ “Do you realise they are your children from this point forward? They are just as much a part of you as your biological offspring.”
Steve continued that obviously, they knew that, but it was really emotional when he glanced up and saw all those eyes. They never believed they would be fortunate or privileged enough to have six children.
After abandoning his job as a wedding planner, Steve is now a stay-at-home parent to his six children. Meanwhile, Rob works as an engineer for Norfolk Southern Railway.
The couple expressed that one of their first expenditures in their new family was a ‘soccer dad’ minivan that would permit them to carry their much-larger family more comfortably.
The siblings had a terrible upbringing, according to the couple, before being placed in foster care in 2017.
‘It was a horrible story — there was neglect and abuse,’ Steve continued. A month after matching with the children in June 2018, the six siblings moved home with Steve and Rob.
Steve recounted after the first week, they were asking if they could remain forever..
Steve also mentioned the heartbreaking moment when Max begged the couple if he might be unadopted after the wedding. ‘I had to tell him that he would always be our son,’ Steven explained.
Rob added that it feels like their emotional relationships have been forming for years. There are no rules on what constitutes a family and the affection they share.
