Steven and Roger Ham say they didn't set out to become "superdads," but the Arizona couple have certainly earned the moniker as the proud parents of seven boys and seven girls.
Despite living in a state where gay marriage is still prohibited, the longtime foster parents have successfully cleared several legal hurdles on their way to adopting a family that requires a 15-seat van just to go to the park, Today.com reports.
The Hams' journey began back in 2003, when the Phoenix couple took in Michael, then 5, a victim of abuse who was living in a group home.
But Michael had other relatives in need of parents, and the Hams decided to open their home to the whole family, bringing their total brood to six, reported ABC News. Then the Ham's added even more children: Logan, Isabel, Cooper, Olivia, Marcus and Ambrose.
In 2010, the couple told a judge they were done adding to their family and closed their foster and adoptive care licenses, according to a July feature published by the Arizona Republic. But helping children in need has always proved an irresistible pull for the Hams, and their judge cautioned that one should "never say never."
Sure enough, last January the men -- who were named among Esquire's "Fathers of the Year 2012" -- were watching the news when they learned about a sad case involving an abused 4-year-old girl and her 2-year-old brother. In a fateful twist, it turned out that the little girl was actually their daughter Ambrose's half-sibling.
“And we blamed ourselves,” Roger told the Republic. “Why didn’t we get them earlier? Could we have prevented this?”
One month later, the Ham's had welcomed both Bella and her 2-year-old brother Julian into their home.
"Their hearts are amazing,” Heather Shew-Plummer, the Hams' adoption case worker, told Today.com. "They will fight all day to get what they need for their kids.”
In the end, it's all about the children. As Steven told ABC in 2011, "These guys will have each other the rest of their lives."
(h/t MSN)
Watch ABC's report in the video below: