There are people who go through life helping others without expecting anything in return, since the simple fact of serving others makes them feel fulfilled. Just like this elderly couple, who for more than two decades have dedicated themselves to adopting homeless children and making a change in their lives.
Mandy Bright, 62, and her husband Joe, 67, are a couple who since 2000 have welcomed dozens of vulnerable children into their home in West Derby, Liverpool, England.
The UK couple have a biological child, but for more than two decades they have fostered around 144 children, especially young ones, from newborn to two years old.
However, they do not only receive children, but in some cases they take in young parents with children, in order to “break the cycle” of trauma that arises in the foster system. This genuine act arose because Mandy always had the desire to be an adoptive mother, since her parents and grandparents were dedicated to raising children.
I grew up with foster children, so I knew foster care was something I always wanted to do.
– Mandy
Although it is not an easy job, the couple feels satisfied and motivated to continue helping, because they know that they are making a difference in the lives of young people.
They are sure that they have made a difference in the lives of the boys because they keep in touch with most of the children they have raised and tell them about it themselves, even recently attending the wedding of one of them.
Most of the children they have fostered have been youngsters who have suffered from drug and alcohol abuse problems or whose parents have a mental health problem.
You have to have a lot of compassion and understanding of where the problems come from. You need to show empathy, but the thing to focus on is that we’re taking care of these kids to keep them safe.
– Mandy
Since 2010, the couple began offering their support to vulnerable parents who have come through the care system, to teach them what it feels like to grow up in a well-functioning, supported family system.
These types of cases are usually more complicated, since you are required to be with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it makes a big difference in their lives.
We once had a 16-year-old mother who had become homeless while pregnant. We had brilliant success with it. She then became a brilliant mother to her little son.
For them it is gratifying that some of their adopted children tell them phrases like “if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now”. Even one of her adopted daughters has become part of her family and the girl’s children see Mandy and Joe as her grandparents.
Despite the advanced age of both, they do not plan to stop giving a home to those young people who need it. The woman affirms that these days, more than ever, is when parents need to know what parenting is all about. It can be stressful, but the feeling of helping others is more rewarding.
You know that you are helping to improve someone’s life and that makes it all worthwhile.
– Mandy.
The work of the couple is admirable, since with their help they are providing a better life and a great future for the young people they shelter. They are all heroes without capes!