Preloading

A Struggling Family of Twelve Gets the Home of Their Dreams

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Never in their wildest dreams did Bernadette Robinson and her family think that in just one moment, their lives would dramatically change forever; that's exactly what happened when Oprah walked through the Starbuck's door where Bernadette worked, back in 2005. Bernadette was singlehandedly supporting a family of 12: Her elderly mother, three children and seven nieces and nephews, who would otherwise have gone through the system.

The small house they lived in was not built to support 12 people, and as such, they all slept three to a bed. After receiving several letters about Bernadette's kind heart and the adversities she was facing in trying to raise ten children on her own, Oprah felt it necessary to intervene. Not only did she buy Bernadette and her family a new house in a safer neighborhood, but she also furnished it so that each family member finally had a bed of their own. Oprah then called on master designer Nate Berkus and his team to redecorate and personalize the house to make it feel more like a home.

Bernadette and her family were over the moon with their new living space that they desperately needed, but Oprah went even further in investing in this family's futures by offering to personally fund the college education of each child who strove for it.

Watch the inspiring story of one family's wildest dreams—that actually came true!