Susan Tom of Fairfield, CA, is not a typical single mother — Tom is the head of a family of 11 adopted children, all of whom are physically challenged or living with long-term illnesses. Tom and her special family are the subject of My Flesh and Blood, a documentary which examines the dynamic of this household, as well as the often demanding physical and emotional needs of the 11 kids and the heavy emotional burden Tom must sometimes carry as she looks after children who may not survive to adulthood.

Produced for the HBO premium cable network, My Flesh and Blood was screened in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. This is a documentary you will want to see more than once, as it is a remarkable story of an extraordinary family.

The decision Susan Tom has made to adopt so many children is astounding, and she deserves a lot of respect, even tough she is not portrayed (or wants to be portrayed) as an angel or saint. We (as viewers) see that there is normality within that “abnormality”, as the household have to deal with the same everyday stuff all families deal with (on top of the specific (medical) problems relating to the various members of… (Amazon)

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Winner of the Audience and Director’s Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the deeply affecting MY FLESH AND BLOOD follows one remarkable family’s most tumultuous year as it confronts a litany of daily routines, celebrates life’s small pleasures, and copes with major crises.

Who says you can’t choose your family? “I think when I found that I could survive raising four kids, that it wasn’t that far of a leap to add another one,” says Susan Tom of Fairfield, California, who has done more than just that, adopting 11 special needs children. For a single mother who receives only limited help from the state, Susan gives her kids love, hope, and as close to a normal childhood has possible.

Her limits are tested, however, when her angry teenage son threatens one of his siblings. And after another child’s condition becomes erratic, the entire family learns that living for the moment is the keystone to happiness. Tenderly directed by Jonathan Karsh, MY FLESH AND BLOOD presents a family portrait like no other–a bittersweet and unforgettable experience filled with unexpected humor, stirring pathos, and an optimistic view towards morality. (Amazon)