A lot of times, we kind of look down on the Duggars, you know, because of that oldest boy, the one who molested his sisters and cheated on his wife.
But sometimes, this family is OK. Sometimes they’re even amazing.
This is one of those times.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have added one more child to their big ol’ brood, bringing their total number of children up to 20.
“But how?” you might be wondering. “Michelle is 49 years old, and I didn’t even know she was pregnant!”
And the answer, friends, is that Jim Bob and Michelle welcomed their 20th kid through the magic of the law.
OK, so Michelle has this 23-year-old niece, Rachel Hutchins, right?
Rachel is in a bad place in her life right now: she’s unemployed, she’s homeless, and she’s on probation for some breaking and entering she did back in April.
That’s sad enough all by itself, but Rachel also has an eight-year-old son, Tyler.
Rachel’s mother (Michelle’s sister) was taking care of Tyler, but she had a stroke over the summer, leaving her unable to continue looking after the boy.
So Michelle stepped in, she took charge of the situation, and she and Jim Bob gained temporary custody of their great-nephew.
So sweet, right? Well, it’s about to get even better …
Now we’re hearing that the Duggars have gotten permanent custody of Tyler! And that makes him, in a strange, beautiful way, their 20th child.
According to court documents, the Duggars’ attorney stated that the boy’s mother, Rachel, “recently exhibited a pattern of behavior demonstrating that she is presently unable to meet Tyler’s health, safety, and other needs.”
Rachel has agreed to the guardianship — she’s also reportedly agreed to support the Duggars’ plan to adopt Tyler — and has also agreed to supervised visitation.
As for Jim Bob and Michelle, a new report from In Touch claims that they “couldn’t be happier right now.”
“Jim Bob and Michelle have made the child feel right at home,” a source says. “They treat him like their own and he looks up to them as parents.”
Adorably, their children have warmly welcomed Tyler, too.
What a precious little story. And a much-needed one, after all the Duggar heartache over the last year and a half.
After all, there’s nothing like a heartwarming story about love, kindness, and family to make you forget all about, well, everything else.
