Lily, Joseph, Noah, Jack, Ruby all with their dad Ben Carpenter (Picture: Caters News Agency)

A single dad will be having an extra wonderful Father’s Day this year after adopting his fifth disabled child.

Ben Carpenter, 35, a full time dad from Huddersfield, originally planned on adopting one child when he was 21.

But since then, Ben has become a dad to five after finishing the adoption of his one-year-old son Noah, who has a rare genetic condition known as Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Yet the 35-year-old, hailed as a ‘super dad’ by his friends and family, has not written off adopting more.


His children Jack, 11, Ruby, eight, Lily, six, Joseph, three, as well as Noah, have a range of disabilities from Autism to Pierre Robin syndrome.

Six-year-old Lily is one of the children Ben has adopted in the last decade (Picture: Caters News Agency)

The single dad was initially worried about trying to adopt but was helped by his experience working with disabled adults and children.



He said: ‘Even at the age of 21 I knew I wanted to be a father as soon as possible. I may have only been young but I’ve always had an old head on my shoulders.

‘I was convinced with me being single as well that they wouldn’t take me seriously, but I was over the moon when they did.

‘Due to previously working with disabled adults and children, I knew it was only right for me to adopt a disabled child because I knew I’d be able to care for them properly.

‘I originally saw an advertisement from local adoption social services looking for adoptive parents and I thought, well, they’re not going to want me as a single guy.

‘But I told them who I was and where I worked and they were really positive and quite enthusiastic about me adopting a child.

‘Nine years on, I have five children and I wouldn’t change a thing.’

Ben’s oldest child Jack has autism, Ruby has limited use of her arms due to missing bones and Pierre Robin syndrome, Lily is deaf and Joseph has Down Syndrome.

Ben receiving a Father’s Day card from his children (Picture: Caters News Agency)

Noah’s syndrome and severe birth defects affect all four of his limbs but has fit into the family ‘just perfectly,’ Ben said.

‘Noah is great and has fit into our family just perfectly and, to be honest, it’s like always been there!

‘His new brothers and sisters are great with him, Lily in particular is extremely maternal and helps me feed Noah and things.’

The 35-year-old continued to say he never had the desire for biological children and adopting is just as good.

Ben said: ‘I’ve never wanted biological children because there’s much, much more than just being biologically linked to a child.

‘My children are my children, for example they have the same mannerisms as me.

‘Yes, they might not have the same blood as me, but who cares!’

The dad-of-five added that while he didn’t currently plan to adopt any more children, he has not completely dismissed the idea.

He said: ‘I don’t currently plan on adopting more children but I’m one of these people who never says never.

‘If in the future a child really needed me and my help, I’m sure I would end up adopting them.



‘I definitely see myself fostering more children though, I just love being a dad.’

Joseph, 3. Ben said family is ‘much much more’ than being biologically linked to a child (Picture: Caters News Agency)

Ben told of how he saw Noah and immediately ‘fell in love’ and knew he had to join his family.

He said: ‘I was flicking through an adoption magazine that comes from monthly featuring children who are deemed as ‘hard to place’ children, when I came across this picture of a little baby who quite clearly had severe complex needs.

‘I thought to myself this little boy needs to join our family where he can be part of something special, but more importantly someone who can accept him and his disability.

‘I instantly fell in love with him what with his mass of brown hair and his beautiful blue eyes I knew instantly I wanted him to be my son.’

The devoted dad has stayed single since the age of 21 and has no plans to look for a relationship as his family is the most important thing in his life.

Ben said: ‘I have never sought a relationship, as I am happy on my own.

‘Whenever I have at times visualised myself in a relationship and each time I have it always leads to the same conclusion: that my children will always come first.

‘I would literally walk over hot coals to protect them and provide for them so it’s very easy decision.

‘Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.’