Tiffany Greene, Your Kids

The word mother is usually associated with a woman who gives birth. However, the title can be given to any woman who fulfills that role, like a stepmother.

In today's Building Community report, News 13's Tiffany Greene shows us how her love for children is thicker than blood.

It didn't take long for Diane Hayes to teach her step-daughter about her beloved Ohio State Buckeyes.  It's that very school that brought this family of five together. 

"He wrote a column talking pretty nastily about Ohio State and I wrote to him telling him how he was wrong," said Diane.

That columnist she's referring to is now her husband, Matt.  But Diane didn't marry one person. She vowed to also love his three children.

"After the first second of meeting them and thought they were so cute, I realized what the challenges were," said Diane.

Megan is 15 years old and has Down syndrome. Her younger sisters Molly and Mattie are autistic.  The Hayes' said there are many sleepless nights, and the toughest part of having kids with special needs is not being able to communicate with them like normal.

"Obviously, there will always be apart of me grieving for them but at the same point the focus is to help them become the best they can be," said Matt.

Sing-a-longs and games are some of the fun activities where the girls can let loose. It's a program called Buddy Break, where community volunteers play with disabled children for a few hours, while mom and dad get a breather.

"It's very liberating for us because we get time away to be with ourselves,” said Matt. “It's also liberating for them because they get to interact with their peers and they get to have fun."

"Nathaniel's Hope is a[n] organization dedicated to reaching out and bring hope and encouragement to kids with special needs and their families,” said Marie Kuck, Nathaniel’s Hope Co-Founder. “We want to cheer families on their journey but we also want to educate the community, and equip the community to make a difference in the lives of kids with special needs."

Through the death of Tim and Marie's Kuck's son, Nathaniel's Hope came to life.  For the past five years, the organization gives, help and encouragement to families and kids with special needs.

If you would like to see this story or other Your Kids reports, tune to News 13 On Demand at no extra cost. You'll find it on channel 313 on your digital cable.