Featured on Today.com recently are Jeane and Paul Briggs. Married 38 years and with 34 children. Just 5 are biological. Early in their marriage, after suffering a miscarriage, Jeane was introduced to adoption. The couple says they tried to adopt through foster care in the United States but found too many problems. And so they’ve gone overseas. Adopting from Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Bulgaria and Ghana, their children are completely loved in the Briggs home.
The special needs of their children include cleft lips, scoliosis, kidney problems, cancer, attachment issues, polio, deformities, learning disabilities and one child had a hole in the heart. Thankfully Paul has a good-paying job with great benefits. In fact, the company he works for pays $10,000 right off the bat when you adopt. This has helped tremendously with immediate adoption expenses for the family.
The Briggs family was recently able to build on to their home, making now 9 bedrooms and over 5,000 square feet. And what of food costs to feed this family? $52,000 a year!
According to Cosmopolitan, the family will continue to grow. Seeing needs in sweet children who deserve love drives Jeane and Paul to continue to adopt. The most recent additions to their family are two baby boys from Ghana, both with orthopedic problems. One is missing his legs and his hands, the other is missing feet.
NY Daily News reports that the Briggs children are homeschooled. Mom doesn’t do it alone, though. The older children help the younger. And after school, everyone participates in chores. Summer time is filled with lots of play. With two swimming pools and two jungle gyms, there is plenty of space to run and enjoy life. Mostly, whether or summer or winter, the Briggs family just loves being together.
