David and Candace Abel of
Elizabethtown
,
PA
have been selected by the National Parents’ Day Council to receive a
2007 National Excellence in Parenting award. The Abels were also
selected as the 2007 Pennsylvania Parents of the Year by the
Pennsylvania Parents’ Day Council.
The Abels are raising 12 children, ranging in age from 5
to 31…. nine of whom are adopted, while three are “homemade”
(according to David’s humor). The
adopted children are from all over the world, including
Korea
,
Thailand
,
Haiti
,
China
and the
U.S.
…and they are all “special needs” children. Candace
summed up her view of her 12 children, “They are my kids. God gave
them to me to take care of. They’re easy to love. They’re
surprisingly compatible.”
In 1989, the Abels adopted their first daughter, Brittany,
after the 12 year-old’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Brittany
’s father had abandoned the family earlier.
Brittany
suffered from various psychological problems. But, with the Abels’
loving care, she overcame those difficulties and grew into a beautiful
young woman. Tragically, she lost her life in a car accident in 1999.
That same year, the Abels founded the nonprofit Brittany’s
Hope Foundation, which helps to facilitate the adoption of
children with disabilities from around the world. Candace now serves
as the Director of the foundation’s board of 21 members. She also
earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work while raising the children
and serves as a volunteer with the Social Justice Committee at her
church and on the
board of Elizabethtown College.
The Abels work as a close team in raising their diverse
children. They are the epitome of unconditional love in action.
