Having siblings can be a blessing, especially when you go through hard times like losing your parents. Many kids who are taken away from their parents have brothers or sisters, but sadly, about half of them are split up by at least one sibling. It’s even harder for kids who have big families because it’s very rare for them to find a home that can take them all. But sometimes, miracles do happen. Just look at these 5 siblings, who were all adopted by the same family, the Bonuras.
Their story went viral and touched many hearts. They were adopted by five siblings who were separated in foster care.
Andi and Thomas Bonura are a married couple who have been together for 15 years. They always wanted to have a big family, but they had a lot of trouble having biological children. They lost one pregnancy, and then they had twins who were born too early. Only one of them, Joey, survived. They tried again and had two daughters, Sadie and Daphne. After that, they were told that it was too risky for them to have more children.
But they didn’t give up on their dream. They decided to foster and adopt children who needed a loving home. They got their license in 2017 with the help of their foster agency, Depelchin.
They soon welcomed their first foster child, a baby boy named Bryson. Andi fell in love with him right away. She said, “He was so sweet and innocent, and he needed so much love. I opened my heart to him and loved him with all I had. It was the best feeling ever.”
They later found out that Bryson had four siblings: two brothers and two sisters. They were Thomas, Carter, David, and Gabrielle. Andi and Thomas wanted to keep them together, so they fostered them too. The older twins, Thomas and Carter, started visiting them first, and then the others moved in.
One day, they got a phone call that changed everything. The parents of the five siblings had given up their rights. Andi and Thomas had a choice to make. They didn’t hesitate. They said yes to adopting all five of them. Andi said, “I knew them all, and I loved them all. They were so precious, and they had my whole heart. I wanted to be their mom forever.”
On May 6th, they made it official. They became a family of ten. Andi and Thomas’ dream came true. They said, “It’s amazing to have eight children. They are all kind, loving, and special. It’s so rewarding to see them grow and heal. We have a busy house, but we work together. They care for each other, and they support and encourage each other. I feel so lucky to be the mom of these incredible kids.”
They are now the proud parents of Thomas, 8, Carter, 8, David, 6, Gabrielle, 4, and Bryson, 2, who joined their biological children Joey, 11, Sadie, 10, and Daphne, 8.
Andi shares that becoming a foster parent has been the most meaningful decision of her life. Taking in a foster child, offering them unconditional love through their struggles, and supporting their healing has been a transformative journey. It has challenged Andi to grow and become a stronger person. She acknowledges that she is not the same as before, having been naive about this aspect of life, but facing these challenges has built an incredible bond and trust with her foster children.
Witnessing her biological children naturally extend compassion and friendship to the foster kids fills Andi with pride. She emphasizes the significant need for foster parents and the multitude of children yearning for love. Andi wants to stress that she didn’t navigate this journey alone. Her family, friends, fellow foster parents, and teachers all played roles in providing encouragement and love.
While acknowledging that fostering is a challenging path, Andi also expresses that it’s one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences she’s ever had. She recognizes the amazing people in the world who willingly open their lives and hearts to these precious children. Andi feels fortunate to be friends with them, learning and growing from their kind hearts and encouragement, ultimately considering herself the lucky one in this journey.