When Robert Carter was 12, his mother's struggles with addiction and employment resulted in he and his nine siblings being removed from their home and placed into the foster care system.
They were all separated from each other for years, but Robert worked hard and was eventually able to take custody of a younger sister and guardianship of a younger brother.
That's why he's now being praised as a hero for adopting a quintet of siblings, so that they can stay together in a loving, stable home.
Though the brothers were together, the girls had been placed alone in separate homes. After six months, Robert got together with the two foster moms and scheduled a meet-up so that the kids could see each other in person.
That's when he made it his goal to adopt them all.
"I understand what they went through, so it really touched me. I was already thinking about adopting all of the kids but when I saw them crying, I was like, 'Ok, I’m going to take all five to keep them together.'"
He knew he'd made the right choice when Marionna, the eldest, privately thanked him for adopting them, even though she had started the journey disliking and distrusting him.
Like him, Marionna had taken on the task of caring for her younger siblings when their mother was unable to do so, which had made her protective.
Now, she'll be able to be the 10-year-old self she never should have needed to abandon in the first place.
His brother created a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising $150,000 toward the purchase of a forever home for the family of six.
As of this writing, it's about to crack the $110,000 mark, with more donations coming in.
As for Robert, his plans are simple: "Just making memories, letting them know I’m here and they never have to go. I’m here for them no matter what."
