Think raising your kids is tough? Try this moving documentary on for size. Susan Tom, mother of two biological children, has also adopted 11 other kids, each with various special needs: from the limbless to those with disfiguring burns, mental challenges or terminal conditions. And each child contributes--in ways both good and bad--to the family dynamic.
The most complicated of the lot, 15-year-old Joe, suffers from cystic fibrosis as well as emotional problems that manifest themselves in violent outbursts. That his adopted mom can't give him the level of attention he needs highlights the failings of social services and questions just how many children with special circumstances one can handle. The film doesn't offer answers. What it does do, however, is offer a portrait of one unique family's determination to make the best of the cards life has dealt them.