While on the phone with TODAY.com, Shannon Pinkerton is interrupted several times by her 24-year-old son, Anthony. The Pinkerton family is camping in Wyoming, and Anthony is eager to wipe down the picnic tables.
“Breakfast ended at 9 and he’s worried someone will get to it before he does,” Shannon, 51, says, noting that Anthony’s nickname is “Mr. Clean," because he's always tidying
Anthony's brother Devlin, 17, pops by to ask his mom when he go can swimming. He's excited about the TODAY interview, but more excited to get in the pool.
"The boys think they're gonna be famous," Shannon says.
Anthony and Devlin are two of six disabled children adopted by Shannon and her husband, Troy. Anthony, Devlin, Tracee, 27, Joey, 22, and Julian 20, all have Down syndrome. Cameron, 22, is blind and developmentally delayed. He also has dwarfism.
Joey was adopted at age 10, while the rest of the children were adopted in their teens.
Shannon and Troy, are also parents of four neurotypical biological kids: daughters Jordan, 33, and Haley, 27, and sons Troy, 29, and Cody, 21.
"The foster care system is broken — especially for kids with special needs. They get placed anywhere, with people who aren't qualified," Shannon says. "That's one of the reasons we're doing this."
Troy works as a coal minor and farrier — a specialist in equine hoof care — while Shannon looks after Anthony, Devlin, Tracee, Joey, Julian and Cameron. Shannon describes her parenting style as loving but firm. She expects her boys to listen and follow rules — especially when they're out in public.
“We’ve had people move away from us at restaurants because they assume we’ll be loud— but my boys are very well-behaved,” Shannon reveals. “Just recently this one guy who asked for a different table, ended up buying our meal and writing an apology note that said, 'I'm sorry for judging you.'"
Shannon notes that she only takes her kids to places that are familiar and where they know the servers. It’s a trick she learned from her mother, Jane Barrett, who ran a residential group home. Shannon picked up a lot of tricks from watching Barrett.
“People will say, ‘I couldn’t do what you do,’ but this is normal for me,’” Shannon explains. “I grew up with six women living with us. This is all I’ve ever known.”
On a typical day, the Pinkerton brothers might go to the supermarket with their mom. The Pinkertons spend roughly $3,000 a month on groceries. She shares videos on TikTok and Instagram of the boys going up and down the aisles.
“Everyone has a job, for instance, Tracee and Cameron will push the cart,” she says. “Everyone sticks with a buddy.”
Joey enjoys cooking, while Devlin loves “being a cowboy,” and riding horses with his dad. All the young men have chores around their 40 acre property in Glenrock, Wyoming.
Shannon is proud of how far Anthony, Tracee, Joey, Julian, Devlin and Cameron have come over the last few years. When Joey moved in with the Pinkertons at age 10, he was still in diapers.
“I had him toilet trained in two days,” Shannon says.
Cameron, who had trauma from past foster placements, struggled with behavioral issues. Shannon recalls how he did $300 worth of damage his first week in their home.
“He was always like, ‘You’re gonna kick me out aren’t you? And I’d tell him, ‘No, no, no. This is your forever home,’” she says. “One day, he finally believed me.”
Shannon says her family is just like another other family.
“Do the brothers fight sometimes? Yes. Will you find dishes in my sink? Probably,” she says. “Do we love each other? You bet.”