SAN ANTONIO – Jamie and Heather Hejduk, a federal employee and a stay-at-home mom, said they’d wanted to foster small children who would later be returned to their families or adopted.
After taking classes required by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Hejduks first placement were twin boys, only two months old.
“Then, we found out there were four other siblings,” Jamie Hejduk said.
His wife said they soon realized, “We fell in love with the kids.”
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The Hejduks adopted all six children on Thursday during National Adoption Month in a virtual ceremony with Judge Charles Montemayor presiding from Children’s Court.
“You may not have given birth to them, but you’ve given them their life,” Montemayor said.
Heather Hejduk said she thought their caseworker was joking when she asked the couple if they wanted all six.
“We decided, yes, we did. We couldn’t split up all their siblings,” she said.
The twins are now 16-months old, and the oldest child is five.
To add six children to four of their own was a family decision, Heather Hejduk’s husband said.
“We couldn’t say no,” Jamie Hejduk said.
“They just fit in our family,” Heather Hejduk said.
Although they have a spacious home, Jamie Heyduk said, “We were able to rearrange our home to fit that many.”
He said they also went from a seven-passenger van to another van big enough for 15.
Heather Heyduk said their only daughter had wanted a sister.
“Little did she know her little sister wasn’t born till she was 16, and she didn’t meet her until last year,” Heather Heyduk said.
Jamie Heyduk said he encourages families to consider making a decision like theirs, perhaps not as many as they did, but even then, “adopting a single child makes a huge difference.”