An Ottawa woman who worked so hard to adopt a young Kenyan boy is busy celebrating her new family this Easter holiday, all 282 new members.

Peggy Taillon spent more than a year in Kenya in order to adopt the young boy who stole her heart, 14-month-old Devlin.

"It has been the most unbelievable time of my life, the most stressful time of my life," said the proud mother from the Ottawa International Airport Saturday night.

"I feel like I've been holding my breath for 14 months - literally. And today I feel like I was finally able to exhale."

Taillon has made frequent trips to Kenya, independently travelling there to help the poor residents in any way she can. One day she met a 13-year-old orphan who was pregnant. The girl asked Taillon to adopt her baby to give him a better life.

However, she soon learned that Kenyan law restricts single parents form adopting.

Over the past 14 months, Taillon fought that law and won, changing the Kenyan legal system.

The success of her campaign is even more amazing considering the political turmoil Kenya was experiencing at the time.

Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was accused of rigging the presidential election held on Dec. 27, 2007. The ensuing riots led to hundreds of deaths and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. The country is only now returning to normal.

"It's going to make things a lot easier now for single parents to adopt and the law is actually going to be reviewed this year and those provisions are likely to be removed," she said.

But the story doesn't end here. Taillon not only adopted Devlin, but also became his mother's legal guardian. Taillon is now the caretaker of 14 children, 200 orphans and 68 widows in Kenya.

"I'm happy for her, I'm happy that it's all over. It's been a long haul," said Mike Taillon, Peggy's father.

Mike Taillon first met his grandson in Kenya three months ago and he said he is both delighted and relived to have his daughter and grandson back at home safe and sound.

"He's fun; 14 months, cutting teeth, talks - trying to talk, I should say. He walks all over the place," he said. "He makes everybody laugh, he just loves it. He's a wonderful child."

With a report from CTV's Maggie Padlewska