When Pam Brady's three children were small, she thought one day she might like to nurture babies who had no mother. At the time, she was a stay-at-home Glen Rock mother, who was active in her children's lives and sports, and also did volunteer work. When the older two children went to college, Pam and her husband, Ed, a securities trader in New York, had a very busy life that included travel across the country to attend their children's college football and soccer games. When their youngest child, Kristen, then a junior in high school, encouraged Pam to take in a foster baby and assured her she would help, Pam talked to Ed. They decided they were ready to take the first step and talked to a friend who had recently become a foster parent through Children's Aid and Family Services.

Babies in the House

Children's Aid and Family Services finds foster families for "Boarder Babies"-infants whose mothers are unable to care for them for reasons including substance abuse and homelessness. The ultimate goal is to find permanent homes for the infants. Pam called the agency, which sent a social worker to discuss the process with Pam and Ed. After going through the paperwork, parenting and CPR training, background checks, and home inspection, the family took home a baby girl from a hospital on Christmas eve 1999. "Once you hold the first baby in your arms, you're hooked. There'll be no more questions, no more wondering, because you've got this life in your hands that needs love," says Pam. After the little girl was adopted by a family, the Bradys took in a little boy, followed by another infant, Naziier.

Family Meeting

Naziier, whom Pam describes as the tiniest baby she ever saw, was slated to be adopted by another family. But, after almost two years, the adoption fell through and no other families came forward. When the Brady children learned he was available for adoption, they asked their parents to adopt Naziier. Pam recalls them imploring, "You cannot let him go, he's our brother." But Pam and Ed were concerned they were too old to adopt Naziier. They held a family meeting with all their children-Sean, Quinn, and Kristen, then aged 25, 22 and 19, respectively. The parents explained that if they were to adopt Naziier, the children would have to be absolutely committed to raising him if something happened to them.

No Doubt

"It wasn't even a question of whether he belonged in the family. We all knew he did. And it was the right thing to do," says Kristen, an education major at a Maryland college. Kristen is visiting this particular weekend, as she often does so she can spend time with her little brother. When she asks Naziier to smile for a photo, he tells her, "Tickle me, tickle me! Then I'll smile." Kristen obliges and the entire house echoes with the soft ripples of a little boy's laughter.

This is Our World

Just when you think the story is over, there's more. Pam and Ed recently took in a 3-month old foster baby. Naziier, or "Mr. Personality," as they like to call him, delights in helping take care of the new baby. "This is our world," says Pam, "and the only way to live in this world is to accept human beings as human beings. Children are the future and only by giving them positive influence and love will they be able to overcome all the obstacles in life." Watching all the generations of Bradys together, it becomes apparent that this is a story that will never end.