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Full House

--By Jeremy Caplan

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."

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