They traded in the dream of an empty nest for a house filled with kids, and now Wallingford natives Adam and Amy Boroughs aren’t the only ones grateful for an unexpected blessing.

So are their 12 children, most of whom have been adopted and receive dedicated love and care for their hearing impairments, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, and more, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Kevin Riordan.

“We dreamed that by the time we were in our late 40s, our kids would basically be grown, and we would be traveling the world,” said Adam, a Villanova alum. “It was far better for us to give up what we thought was our dream in order to have this. It’s not the life we expected. But it’s not a life we would change.”

Since growing up in Wallingford and starting their family 25 years ago, the Boroughs have settled into Logan Township, N.J., found a church family at Calvary Chapel in Chadds Ford, and taught their oldest children the value of life.

“It’s been a blessing to grow up with people from so many different places, people with different abilities,” daughter Zoe said. “And it’s good for us (siblings) to be aware of the injustice in the world, and to be part of working toward ending injustice. But it’s a challenge. On any given day, three of the kids have strep throat, the dog is throwing up, and someone misses the bus. There are a lot of moving parts.”

Read more about the Boroughs’ journey from Wallingford to a home filled with children from around the world in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.