Who are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? , 12/15/12, Best Documentary 1977
I watch a lot of documentaries, I figure it’s a great way to be introduced to a topic and then I can decide if I want to learn more, sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I usually watch documentaries alone because they are not always the happiest or exciting (as in Avengers or Mission Impossible) movies. Also, a lot of documentaries aren't always for families/kids because the subject may be too mature or complex, but I really think anyone can watch this movie, and they should. The DeBolts are a couple who had six biological children between them and then adopted 14 kids….That’s not a typo, FOURTEEN (the 20th was adopted after the movie was completed in case you are questioning my math). And not 14 healthy kids, either. They adopted 14 kids from a variety of countries and several of them had disabilities, including paralysis, missing limbs, and blindness. You have probably stopped reading and are thinking, ooh, this is great…It is, it’s amazing. The kids are amazing and funny. There are some great moments that made me just laugh out loud. The DeBolts do not coddle their kids, they all have chores, it doesn't matter if you have no arms and legs, or use crutches. Some people, especially in this day and age of what seems to me to be over-coddling of kids, may think this is harsh and cruel. It’s not. They learn to function and cope and overcome a world that at that time (in the 1970s) was not as aware and conscious of people with disabilities. There’s a lot of laughing in this family, and it’s awesome to watch. JR, who is blind and a paraplegic, was told he would never walk (he was wheelchair bound when the DeBolts adopted him), and not to spoil it, but he learns to walk with crutches and it’s pretty cool. I think it would be great to watch this with kids to see their reaction and have one of those teachable moments. I have not seen the other documentaries from this year, but I think this was a deserving selection. Just a side note, the disk I borrowed from the library also had a 45 minute follow up documentary as well as text on what the kids were up to (as of at least the 1980s, I couldn't tell), and this one spends a lot of time on JR and his adventure in a regular Junior High (he had been going to a blind school).
Special note: If you enjoy my ramblings or insights (depending on your point of view), I wrote a book in 2006, called Oh, You’re a Vegetable about my solo trip around the world in 2006. It is now available as an eBook. Please check it out if you are so inclined. Thank you for checking out this blog. As of today there have been over 1,000 views from places like Russia, Germany, the UK and France.
