Their first adopted child, Shanice, is now 16 and entering 11th grade. While her mother was HIV-positive, Shanice tested negative. She says that sometimes being in a house full of kids "can be stressful, but other times I just love being around kids."
The first child the Thorpes brought in with only the intention of fostering was a 5-month-old girl named Maurisha, who had been diagnosed HIV-positive. They subsequently adopted her. Iris Thorpe said doctors told her that the girl wouldn't live more than a few years. Now Maurisha is a 14-year-old high school sophomore and walks with the aid of leg braces.
Her adoptive parents have endured much in welcoming the children, often knowing little or nothing about their problems until they've opened their doors.
Recently the Thorpes fostered a 7-year old who tried several times to set their house on fire. A 4-year-old was blind, mentally impaired and hadn't been potty trained.
The second child they fostered, a 2-year-old named Omar, came to them with full-blown AIDS and died six months later. After Omar's death Iris got counseling for the entire family, particularly her sons. Maurice and Eric Thorpe were 11 and 10 at the time, and, seeing how draining it was on their mother, they asked her to temporarily refrain from fostering.
"That was a really tough time. Omar was a great kid," said Maurice Thorpe. "Our grandmother had also just passed away. We just didn't want to go through it for a while."
But eventually the boys agreed to more foster siblings.
For now, Iris is eager to adopt the youngest child in the home, a 2-year-old. Last week, she and Anthony mailed in the adoption letter of intent."My family supports me," she said, "and they always ask, 'How many kids you have now?' "
