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We, Nadezhda and Alexander, are a foster family from Zaporozhzhye. The history of our foster family began in 2000. That year, our beloved son was three years old. During this time, we had a lot of children's clothing of small sizes, and we decided to take it along with sweets to Zaporozhzhye "Solnischko" baby home. We were allowed to look at the kids, and then something happened to us. These children’s little hands reaching to you, these words: "Mama, Mama." It was hard to bear it and not to hug them all. But paying attention to them means to give them hope. We left this place with the burden in our souls, but with the assurance that we should return one day. After the visit, we adopted Lena. She was then 7 months. Now this young lady is thirteen years old.
In 2008, our son Andrew read a newspaper review about a girl orphan. He began to ask us to visit her at the orphanage. From the pictures in the newspaper a beautiful girl looked to us, but with very sad eyes. She caught us with something, and we went to get acquainted to her. Her story was not the best. Her mother had died just recently, and we were afraid that the child wouldn’t respond to us. But the first meeting with Lera raised such a storm of feelings in our hearts that somehow we believed: we would cope with any difficulties. Our son Andrew quickly came to an understanding with her, all the more so they were of the same age (both born in 1997), so that their closer relations were quick and to the common pleasure. Then there were four months of trips to the orphanage, and seeing our serious intentions, we were allowed to take the girl to our home for the weekend. So we had an adopted daughter - Valeria. We have become a foster family. Over time our children started talking about that for equality in our family we need a boy. We started searching for a "brother" on the Internet websites of orphans; we also addressed the Children Affairs service. We found the second son in the Melitopol boarding school in the Zaporozhzhye region. The boy was in a boarding school about three years, while he had distant relatives. Well, how we could “pass by” the fate of this child? So we had our fourth child - Alex.
Our children lived in harsh conditions, and they are well aware of other children who have faced the same hard life. Therefore, more and more often they asked us whether we could adopt more kids.
How could not we respond to the requests of our children? Therefore, in 2013 we had a foster daughter Nastya. We took her from the "Solnishko" orphanage when she was 2 years and 4 months. The joy of our children knew no bounds, especially as they were all teenagers, and here is such "honey" as Nastya. Approximately two weeks after Nastya became the member of our family, we went with her to the seaside in the Crimea. Well, there was no limit to Nastia’s joy when she saw the sea and understood what it meant to swim in it.
That’s how it happened that our family has five children now.
The children were in a very bad moral condition and it took a lot of effort to give them confidence in themselves as a person, learn to believe in good and most importantly, that they need someone.
My husband and I both work. I work as a head of canteen production, my husband - Alexander, is a chief electrician at one of the Zaporozhzhye state enterprises. Despite the fatigue, we try to pay attention to each child and help to solve their personal, educational and just everyday problems.
We are saddened about one thing, we have a little car which cannot accommodate our big family. Very often there is a need to go out all together, and by important issues - hospital, school, state institutions, but our personal vehicle - the VAZ- 2106, can’t accommodate seven people, and it is impossible to deliver a child safety seat. So Mom has to go with older children by public transport and Dad drives younger children by car. We do not mention about the possibility to go somewhere for a walk, to the seaside in the summer, to relatives in the village all together...
Of course, this does not diminish our desire to take responsibility and obligation to the greater number of the children, deprived of parental attention. Because, unfortunately, our children - it is a small number of children, whom we currently can give warmth, care and confidence in the future. We want to take more children so then another baby can feel loved.
Children are not guilty for being orphans. Every child without parents - it is the fault of adults, so children are looking forward to having a loving family. The only thing that can really save the child from the hardships of life is a FAMILY.
This family is ready to raise more children, but is in need of a bigger vehicle, designed for at least eight places. If you can help this family to purchase a vehicle (a new or used one but in good condition), contact the foundation staff or the adoptive parents).
Contact phone numbers of Alexander - +38 (066) 753-85-01 and Nadezhda - +38 (066) 200-97-28.
P.S. While preparing the publication of this article, the Dmitrievs family has been refilled with an 11-year-old Olga. The Girl is just getting accustomed to family rules, traditions and habits of new households. But now Mama Nadezhda proudly says: "Olga easily joined our family and a week after her arrival, we had no idea how we could live without her."