SHEBOYGAN — Rachel Ehren has two boys of her own — 15 and 19 years old. Last year, five more children were added to her family unexpectedly.
“My whole life changed,” she said. “I wasn’t planning on raising kids for 18 more years.”
Ehren’s younger cousin — who she said was like a daughter to her — died in childbirth, leaving behind her children, including the twin newborns.
“That was hard for me…to let them call me mom,” Ehren said through sobs.
The eldest, Paul, has a difficult time grasping the new situation too.
“Mama come back?” he asked while Ehren and I played with the kids on the living room floor. “Mama Dominique’s never coming back, baby,” she responded. “Mama Rachel’s right here.”
All five children — who range from 1-5 years old have some kind of developmental delay, which also means they’re all still in diapers or pull-ups.
“It’s not a challenge of just taking care of them. It’s taking care of them and still teaching them to hit the milestones,” Ehren explained.
Watch: Adoptive mother of 5 saved by Sheboygan’s BabyCare
She estimates her family goes through a box of diapers every day.
Luckily she has help to offset the cost with BabyCare in Sheboygan.
“Last year, we gave away 256,000 diapers,” noted Executive Director Marge Voigt, who’s been running the nonprofit for almost two decades.
They’re meeting a great need in the area with diapers, food, formula, clothes, and other donated items.
BabyCare is a referral program, based out of St. Luke United Methodist Church, that allows families to come in 12 times for 100 diapers, and take their pick from the miscellaneous supplies table.
On the first visit, they’re also given a basket of clothes.
“We allow them to take as much as they need…no questions asked,” Voigt said. “We are the kind [of diaper bank] that wants to get to know clients,” like Ehren and her family.
She’s currently trying to formally adopt the five children.
“Anything that you can take off my financials in diapers…I’ll take it,” Ehren shrugged. “As soon as I walk [into BabyCare], it’s like I’m home again.”
