{"id":5406,"date":"2026-05-11T14:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=5406"},"modified":"2026-06-12T10:20:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T07:20:41","slug":"being-a-mother-means-learning-to-love-every-day-the-story-of-olena-who-is-raising-ten-children","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/en\/articles\/being-a-mother-means-learning-to-love-every-day-the-story-of-olena-who-is-raising-ten-children\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBeing a Mother Means Learning to Love Every Day\u201d: The Story of Olena, Who Is Raising Ten Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u201cBeing a mother means holding a lot. Sometimes, a great deal,\u201d says Olena Vydiuk, a foster mother raising ten children, nine of whom are foster children. Ahead of Mother\u2019s Day, celebrated on the second Sunday of May, we are sharing the story of a woman who, together with her husband Andrii, created a family-type children&#8217;s home. Their story is one of courage, choice, responsibility, fears, and a love that continues to grow every day despite exhaustion, war, and uncertainty.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cIf Not Now, Then When?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Olena\u2019s family includes ten children: her biological daughter Yustynka, aged two and a half, and nine foster children &nbsp;&#8211; &nbsp;Myroslav, Rostyslav, Nazar, Solomiia, Yaryna, Polina, Matvii, Tykhomyr, and Lev. All nine foster children are biological siblings. The oldest is seventeen, while the youngest is four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy husband and I volunteered for many years, and we clearly understood that children need a family, a family environment, and caring, reliable adults. We wanted to become mentors and later a foster family, but we never imagined it would be so many children,\u201d Olena recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When children\u2019s institutions from regions affected by active fighting were evacuated to Lviv, Olena and Andrii helped daily &#8211; providing food, clothing, support, and simply being present. Eventually, they realized that mentorship alone was not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf not now, then when?\u201d Olena remembers thinking at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the shock and concern of their relatives, the couple received something invaluable: unconditional support. Today, they say that support remains one of the foundations of their large family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The children joined the family almost immediately so they would not be separated. First came the six older siblings, followed by the three younger ones about a month to six weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Biggest Challenge Was the Scale of Our New Life\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before becoming foster parents, Olena and Andrii prepared through prayer, conversations with other foster families, and stories they read late into the night. They sincerely believed that love would be enough to overcome any challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Olena admits that they viewed the future through \u201crose-colored glasses,\u201d looking more for inspiration than for answers to difficult questions. The greatest challenge turned out to be the sheer scale of their new life. In a household where they had been raising a one-year-old daughter, children aged three to sixteen suddenly arrived &#8211; each with different personalities, needs, crises, and life experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe hardest thing was realizing the scale of everything &#8211; cooking, laundry, homework, treating runny noses. Once everyone moved in, a real rebellion of germs began, and literally everyone got sick,\u201d she remembers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the exhaustion and unexpected difficulties, the couple says they have never regretted their decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are challenges. You can never be one hundred percent prepared for them, but it\u2019s important to understand that they will come,\u201d Olena explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Main Rule of Our Home Is Doing Everything Together\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is almost never silence in this family\u2019s home. Life moves to the rhythm of schools, extracurricular activities, online classes, and constant motion. The busiest days, Olena admits, are scheduled almost minute by minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet they still find time for one another. Sometimes it is a conversation in the car on the way home, a family dinner, or simply sitting together in the kitchen. These evenings are among Olena\u2019s favorites &#8211; when the dining table hums like a beehive, everyone talking at once, laughing, sharing stories from school, and making jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family has already established its own traditions: celebrating birthdays loudly with cake, gathering together for Christmas and Easter, going to the cinema, and enjoying pizza or sushi evenings. Fridays are especially cherished because the children are allowed to stay up later, buy chips or crackers, or choose a small treat they enjoy within reasonable limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_3934-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_3934-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_3934-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_3934-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_3934.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe make the mess together, and we clean it up together,\u201d Olena says with a laugh, describing the guiding rule of their home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cMotherhood Is a Balance Between Unconditional Love and Discipline\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Olena, motherhood involves profound inner work. While biological parenthood may feel more instinctive and familiar, foster motherhood requires growing into the realization: I am their mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mother, she says, is usually the first to notice exhaustion in a child\u2019s eyes, a change in mood, or the first signs of a cold. She makes sure there are clean clothes, a warm dinner, and a sense of safety for everyone in the household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, motherhood is also a great responsibility in which gentleness and discipline are intertwined every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMotherhood is a constant search for balance between love and the inner manager who must teach children hygiene, responsibility, and life skills,\u201d Olena says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What inspires her most is seeing the children grow into kind people &#8211; free from bitterness, able to build friendships, support one another, and celebrate each other\u2019s successes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The happiest moments, however, remain the simplest ones: children\u2019s laughter, family dinners, or a summer day when the entire family jumps into the backyard pool and the yard fills with joyful noise and carefree happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/014-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cRaising a Child Is a Collective Effort\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family does not face the challenges of raising ten children alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Child Protection Service and the social workers from the Dzherelo Centre are our friends, especially during difficult moments. Whenever we reach out, they help us,\u201d Olena says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Extended family also plays an important role. Olena\u2019s and Andrii\u2019s parents regularly visit, spend time with the children, and occasionally give the couple an opportunity to be alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey can stay with the children and let Andrii and me go out for coffee or on a date. These moments are very rare now,\u201d Olena shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe that a child is the result of collective effort in upbringing. All of us influence children &#8211; the family, the school, and the people around them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03-2-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" data-id=\"5314\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/07-1-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" data-id=\"5310\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/010-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cWe Dream of Seeing the Sea Together\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, the family\u2019s greatest dream is a peaceful Ukraine where their children can grow up without war or fear. Olena says they have never imagined living abroad and want to build their future at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every day, they pray together for Ukraine\u2019s defenders and give thanks for the opportunity to live in their own country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside their shared dream of peace and victory, the family has another dream: seeing the sea together for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the moment, this seems almost unattainable because four of the children have health conditions that make traveling far from Lviv difficult. Nevertheless, Olena remains hopeful. She follows developments in medicine and believes that one day their dream will come true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is our family\u2019s shared dream &#8211; to go to the sea together,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of all, she wants to witness the moment when children who love water and swimming see real ocean waves for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cI Want the Children Always to Remember That They Have a Home to Return To\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like millions of Ukrainian mothers, Olena\u2019s greatest fears are connected to the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She admits that even an ordinary lunch at home is overshadowed by worry whenever an air-raid siren sounds while the children are at school or kindergarten shelters. Constant messages, phone calls, and readiness to rush out at any moment and bring the children home have become part of everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet alongside these fears lies another, much more personal one. Olena worries that she may not succeed in building relationships with her foster children that will endure into adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy greatest concern is whether we will be able to build relationships with our foster children strong enough that, as adults, they will know they can always turn to us,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For her, true motherhood means creating trust that survives years, adolescence, and growing up. More than anything, she wants her children always to know that they have a home where they are welcome and where they can return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_5414-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_5414-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_5414-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_5414.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cWe Plan to Live This Life\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family\u2019s immediate plans are simple: they are eagerly waiting for summer. They long for warmth, sunshine, and a little carefree joy. They are already planning a summer camp and dreaming of setting up the backyard pool once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Olena smiles: \u201cThere are no grand plans. We\u2019re simply going to live this life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cFoster Parenting Gives a Deep Sense of Purpose\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to couples considering adoption or creating a family-type children\u2019s home, Olena does not try to romanticize reality. She openly acknowledges that foster parenting brings both immense joy and profound exhaustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFoster parenting will make you suffer, but it will also make you happy,\u201d she recalls a friend once telling her &#8211; a statement she now understands deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Olena, life became much more complicated after the children arrived because love came hand in hand with enormous responsibility. Yet it also became far richer, more meaningful, and filled with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She says that anyone who truly feels called to help orphaned children or children deprived of parental care should be prepared for a difficult journey. Despite all the hardships, however, it is a path that offers a profound sense of the value of what one does for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Does the Dzherelo Centre Support Families?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the first month after the family-type children\u2019s home was established, social workers from the Dzherelo Centre visited the family every week. Today, they visit at least once a month while maintaining regular contact with both the parents and the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe always stay in touch with the foster parents and the older children. I advise the parents, help them find information in response to their questions, and tell them about the services provided by the Dzherelo Centre. I also inform them about projects run by civic and charitable organizations that may strengthen and support the family,\u201d says Olha Shudliuk, a social worker at the Dzherelo Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/012-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specialists also involve parents in training programs and peer-support groups to help them develop parenting skills and strengthen family resilience. Particular attention is given to working with children individually and in groups to build trust and identify their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teenagers participate in thematic meetings covering safety, personal boundaries, emotional intelligence, and career guidance. In addition, the Centre organizes meaningful leisure activities, including theatre visits, trips to the lake, and other recreational events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dzherelo Centre supports families who have opened their hearts to children who cannot live with their biological parents. These include foster families, family-type children\u2019s homes, guardians, and caregivers &#8211; people who give children a second chance at a happy childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Centre\u2019s specialists provide guidance on education, healthcare, and legal protection; assist with housing and everyday issues; support families in obtaining documents and benefits; offer psychological support; and help develop life and parenting skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-1536x920.png 1536w, https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/011-2048x1227.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Access These Services<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dzherelo Centre works closely with local Child Protection Services. To learn more or to explore different forms of family-based care, contact the Child Protection Service department in your district or call the contact center at +380 97 400 22 88.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photos by Marta Talan and from the family archive of foster mother Olena Vydiuk.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cBeing a mother means holding a lot. Sometimes, a great deal,\u201d says Olena Vydiuk, a foster mother raising ten children, nine of whom are foster children. Ahead of Mother\u2019s Day, celebrated on the second Sunday of May, we are sharing the story of a woman who, together with her husband Andrii, created a family-type children&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5287,"template":"","articles_category":[31],"class_list":["post-5406","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","articles_category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cBeing a Mother Means Learning to Love Every Day\u201d: The Story of Olena, Who Is Raising Ten Children - \u0414\u0436\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043b\u043e<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dzherelo.org.ua\/en\/articles\/being-a-mother-means-learning-to-love-every-day-the-story-of-olena-who-is-raising-ten-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cBeing a Mother Means Learning to Love Every Day\u201d: The Story of Olena, Who Is Raising Ten Children - \u0414\u0436\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043b\u043e\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cBeing a mother means holding a lot. Sometimes, a great deal,\u201d says Olena Vydiuk, a foster mother raising ten children, nine of whom are foster children. 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