AN incredible Swansea couple who have offered a loving home to nearly 100 children over three decades are now retiring.
Inspirational foster carers Pat and Stuart Gates have cared for 98 youngsters since becoming a part of the local authority's service — Foster Swansea — way back in 1985.
But the Clase-based couple are retiring from their role due to ill health.
Stuart, who is now 70, said the couple had never looked back, and had loved looking after so many children over the years.
Mr Gates said: "We have had 27 wonderful years of working with wonderful families and wonderful staff, and we have had a wonderful life with the babies, a tremendous amount of love.
"We still have contact with many of the children we fostered.
"Some of them look on us as a great aunt and uncle, while we have officially been made grandparents to one."
Former school caretaker Mr Gates said he and his wife first starting adopting when his son Stephen was 15 and his late son Neil was 12.
He said originally they first started taking in youngsters aged up until the age of seven and also adopted 22-year-old Christian, back in 1993.
Mr Gates said: "We first came into fostering when there were no payments at all.
"Today a foster carer gets a payment.
"We would only get something small for nappies, clothes and food.
"We did fostering because we loved it."
He added: "Giving it all up hurts."
He said handing over a baby to a family who desperately wanted to have children was a rewarding part of their role.
"I greeted a woman who couldn't have a baby by saying 'your son is here and we have been looking after him for six weeks'," he said.
"I upset her unintentionally as she said 'that is the most wonderful thing that anyone ever said was that my son is waiting for me'.
"We have worked with people who wanted to have children."
He also paid glowing tribute to the devotion shown by his wife in helping to care for so many children.
The pensioner said: "We have cared for three babies at a time — we had a six-week-old little boy, an 18-month-old little girl and a seven-week-old baby boy.
"We went to Blackpool with them and had to feed them every two hours.
"Pat has been a mum of mums — especially after seeing her dedication over the years.
"One baby we looked after wasn't able to sleep properly for 12 weeks."
Mrs Gates, 66, said she loved her role as a foster mum and said if anyone was thinking of opening up their home to youngsters they should make sure they got the right advice.
She added: "Just find out as much as you can and go for the training.
"You can have a great life and great personal satisfaction, but you do have to be prepared to work hard."
A special Christmas party was hosted at the city's Marriott Hotel yesterday to thank the couple, along with other of Foster Swansea's foster carers, the sons and daughters of fostering families, and the children who are fostered.
Ospreys star Tom Isaacs was there at the celebration.
Kelly Lewis, business development manager at Foster Swansea, said: "The party is a nice fun event for the children, with a visit from Santa and some children's entertainment, as well as a celebration in recognition of the role of our foster carers in providing a safe and loving environment for vulnerable children in our city."
Mark Child, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said he was totally overwhelmed by the love and care that the couple had given to so many children.
He added: "When I heard of Stuart and Pat I thought 'Wow'!
"What a wonderful couple and a fantastic advert for fostering.
"I would like to wish them all the best for the future and thank them from the bottom of my heart for the care they've given to children in Swansea."
