'How could I deny my sons the possibility of being together?' Couple adopt two boys... and then agree to adopt SIX more of their brothers

• Melissa and Scott Groves are now parents to eight brothers ranging from young teens to a baby
• The brothers are: Noah, Chase, Garrett, Hayden, Ashton, Curran, Bryer and Zayn
• Melissa already had a four-year-old daughter Autumn when she met Scott
• The pair had problems conceiving naturally so turned to fostering
• The adopted two brothers and then felt compelled to adopt their siblings

By Jill Reilly for MailOnline

Published: 16:59 EST, 23 November 2014 | Updated: 17:07 EST, 23 November 2014

A couple who originally adopted two brothers have now taken on six more of their siblings to create a family of eight.

Melissa and Scott Groves, from Omaha, Nebraska, are parents to eight brothers ranging from a young teen to a baby.

Melissa, who became pregnant when she was 17, already had a four-year-old daughter Autumn when she met Scott.

A couple who originally adopted two brothers have now taken on six more of their siblings to create a family of eight. Pictured: Melissa's biological daughter Autumn, 17, and her eight adopted brothers Noah, Chase, Garrett, Hayden, Ashton, Curran, Bryer and Zayn

After a whirlwind romance he proposed six months after their first date and they were married a year later.

They were both to keen expand their family, but they discovered conceiving naturally was very unlikely.

The couple decided to become foster parents in December 2003 after Melissa visited her aunt who was a foster carer and was inspired by her story.

Melissa and Scott Groves, from Omaha, Nebraska, are now parents to eight brothers ranging from young teens to a baby. Pictured: The couple with their newest addition Zayn

They enrolled in foster parent training for ten weeks, although Melissa admits they 'wondered if all the red tape and hoops were worth it or if we’d ever get through the classes as the weeks seemed to drag.'

But the couple eventually qualified and were awarded their license - a few weeks later received their first case.

They were told there was a sibling group of five and two of the younger boys needed emergency care.

Melissa admit they panicked about the idea of two young charges, but agreed to take Noah, three and his brother Chase, 22 months.

'Almost instantaneously these two seem to capture our hearts, and it wasn’t very long before I knew that if the chance arose I wanted to have them in our lives forever. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was divine intervention, I don’t know, but what I do know was that the boys’ ‘short’ stay with us turned into adoption,' she says.

The family line up to celebrate Zayn's adoption being officially recognized. Melissa says Zayn is just over a year now and he teaches 'us patience and unconditional love daily and I can’t imagine life without him'

The couple continued to provide foster care, although they did feel the need to adopt any more children.

But within weeks of the legal adoption going through for Chase and Noah they received a phone call from their previous case worker informing them the pair had a new brother with an immediate need for a foster placement upon his birth.

'There was no question, how could I deny my sons and this new child the possibility of being together? So after less than a year, our family grew yet again with the addition of Baby Garrett,' says Melissa.

'Then, just eleven months later we were surprised with another call concerning the arrival of another newborn brother, Hayden.

'Born with a cleft lip, drug exposed, and premature, this little guy had a rough road ahead, but he was as much ours as our other boys; of course we’d accept. And on National Adoption Day they officially became a part of our family!'

Melissa admits at this stage people began to question her judgement, but she enjoyed her expanding family and getting to know her new sons.

Which is why the couple also adopted two more of the brothers - Ashton joined at four-month-old and they then took on newborn Curran in May 2009.

The family got into their stride and Melissa says life was going well as the boys became accustomed to their new home.

But then she received a Facebook message from the boys’ birth mom asking if they would consider adopting her unborn baby.

'We had every reason to say no—not enough money, not enough time, etc. but somehow things seemed to fall into place and the following June we found ourselves in a hospital waiting room awaiting the arrival of our son, Bryer,' she says.

'In October 2013 our soon-to-be seventh son, Zayn, was born premature, drug exposed, and diagnosed with Down syndrome.'

Melissa says Zayn is just over a year now and he teaches 'us patience and unconditional love daily and I can’t imagine life without him.'

The family have now officially adopted him and Melissa says: 'For us, adoption was initially just a means to complete our family when having a biological child seemed impossible. But, it has become so much more to us. It has opened our eyes, widened the horizons of our family, enriched all of our lives, and brought us so much love and happiness.'