Single UK man adopts his sixth child with additional needs

The dad worked in the in the care sector before going on his adoption journey at just 21.

A man from in the UK has adopted his sixth child with additional needs. Ben Carpenter, from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, is now a father of six – five kids at home and son Teddy who passed away in 2019. The 37-year-old previously worked in the care sector before going on his parenthood journey. Having adopted his first child at just 21, Ben became the youngest gay man to adopt. Eldest of the family Jack, now 14, is autistic. After him came Ruby, 11, who has complex needs, along with her biological sister Lilly, 9, who is deaf, then Joseph, 6, who has Down's Syndrome. Ben then adopted his fifth child, a son named Teddy, who had a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Sadly, Teddy passed away from sepsis in 2019, prompting the single dad to take some time to grieve his son. "I was devastated and I felt guilty for a while because I kept wondering if there was something I could have done to fix it," Ben said in an interview. "Before Teddy passed away, I had been contacted to see if I would consider another child. It was a little boy with severe brain issues. "I had said yes, but when Teddy passed I needed to put the process on hold to allow myself to grieve. In early 2020 I realised that this little boy also needed me and I could be his last option so I called the social worker and started the process again." And so little Louis, now two, joined the clan. Louis, who has cerebral palsy and is blind, is the sixth and most recent addition to Ben's family – though he may not be the last, as Ben doesn't rule out adopting again in the future. "I wanted to help kids that were the most vulnerable and the ones that were most in need of a loving and caring home," he said. "...They are all so supportive of each other's needs and I am so proud that I have created a happy, loving and stable environment for them to grow up in. "As much as I have changed their life, they have also changed mine. And I would never say never to having another child." Earlier this year, the family went on ITV's This Morning to share their story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-cIaxa9oHg