Tim and Sue Tolin seem to be an ordinary couple with five grown children, but what has bloomed from their love for one another and their deep faith is far from ordinary. For the Tolins are also the loving parents of 13, yes, 13 adopted children. As if that weren't extraordinary enough, all of the children have special needs and some are severely disabled.

It is almost as if Tim and Sue were born to take care of babies whose mothers were unable to care for them. Tim served his country in Vietnam and worked for years for the Southeastern Michigan American Red Cross. Sue's own parents were foster parents and Tim and Sue followed in their footsteps, becoming foster parents in the late 1970s. They took a break from foster care to help their family through a difficult time when their grandson was diagnosed with cancer.

Led to Love
But their hearts once again led them to care for other people's children. "We reopened our home to foster children in the early '90s," says Sue. "Our first adoptions were our first two foster placements in 1991. Since our first adoptions, we have gone on to adopt inter-state and now internationally."

Their international baby, Gabriel, is 16 months old and arrived from Brazil in January 2004. This newest Tolin joins an already large family: the Tolins' five daughters ages 21 through 32, and their adopted children, Brent, 14, Robyn, 13, Brianna, 10, MaKenzie, 9, Patrick, 9, Kim, 7, Heather, 5, Sean, 3 and baby Aaliyah who is just 10 weeks old.

Tolin's Acres of Angels
Since Tim's retirement, the family moved from the Detroit suburbs to a small farm in Ruth, Mich., they call Tolin's Acres of Angels. "It's a working farm," Sue says. "We raise children!"

Like any other family, the Tolins care for their own children without help, and though the task may seem overwhelming at times, the Tolins persevere. "These are our children and we take care of them the same way any other mom and dad take care of their children," says Sue. "With some of our children we just do it a little differently, but all require one thing and that is love with a forever family. My husband and I are a team and, as parents, handle the needs of our children."

However, life is a struggle at times. Two of their adopted children, Raphael and Joey both died of medical complications due to fetal alcohol syndrome. Sue constructed memorials for both of them on the family Web site, www.s-tolin.net. Another adopted child, Erin, had to be placed with a different family. Erin was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, static encephalopathy, premature adrenarche, microcephalic and ADHD. Her behavior placed the Tolins' medically fragile children at risk and, with love, they realized they needed to place her elsewhere.

A Typical Day
Sue's morning begins early, at 5 a.m., with a hot cup of coffee. She says this may be the only cup of coffee she gets all day that is still hot when she drinks it! At 6 a.m., she calls the older girls to get up for school. They are fed and dressed and Tim drives them to school at 7:30 a.m.

"I continue getting children up, bathed and fed during the morning hours," says Sue. "Just about the time I finish with the last one, stopping to do a few dishes, clean up a mess or two and start one son with school work, it is lunch time and we start the changing, feeding routine again."

While this may not sound unusual, remember that three of the Tolin children are fed with tubes. "That requires a little different technique than the typical plate and silverware!" says Sue.

The Tolins spend the afternoon doing physical therapy with the children. Sue also does occupational and speech therapies with a couple of them. The older kids get home about 3 p.m., and the Tolins begin the after-school routine which includes starting dinner, getting the girls started on their homework and housework.

The typical after-dinner routine includes baths, teeth brushing and quiet time. One child needs to be hooked up to an overnight feeding pump and another needs tracheal tube care. The Tolins then pray that everyone sleeps through the night!

Pride in Their Tribe
Like any proud Mama, Sue has been known to go on about her children's accomplishments. Though proud of all their children, the Tolins are especially amazed by Kim, a lovely dark-eyed little girl born without a lower jaw, who is also a triple amputee. This is a child who doesn't let her disabilities hold her back; she has learned to write with her shortened arms (she has no hands) and even to ride her tricycle.

Their son Brent is another amazing child. Brent was born with a myriad of disorders including septo-optic dysplasia (which left him completely blind), pituitary dwarfism, severe mental retardation, hypothyroidism and diabetes. In spite of his many challenges, Brent loves music and has taken vocal lessons through the Variety FAR Conservatory of Therapeutic and Performing Arts in Birmingham, Mich., and has publicly performed many times at telethons, benefits and sporting events. Two years ago, Brent was given the honor of singing the National Anthem at Commercial Park for a Detroit Tigers game.

But it doesn't take big accomplishments to impress the Tolins. All of the Tolin children are prized and every accomplishment is considered a gift. How do the Tolins do it? If you ask them they will point to their faith. "We follow God's plan for our lives," says Sue. "We were led to adopt His special children through our faith in Him and His plan for our lives."

"I feel all children are special, and if our lives hadn't been touched through adoption we would not be what we are today," says Sue. "Life is short and all children deserve and have a right to a forever family and love. All I can say is, 'Why not?'"

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• iParenting Adoption
• Extra Special: Parenting a Child With Multiple Special Needs
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