More on Holly Richardson ...

Not only do many of Holly's kids live with physical limitations, many suffer from mental and emotional fallout from harsh beginnings.

One of their son's fascination with fire sparked a blaze that destroyed the family home. Twenty kids, some in wheelchairs, and suddenly homeless ... what does that bring out in you?

Well, in the Richardsons it brought out fortitude, and gratitude for friends by the many.

Unsure what to do, Holly's first response was to worry about what her children would wear to church the next day, Mother's Day. When neighbors asked what they could do, Holly mentioned this.

"Within two hours we had 80 boxes of clothes and shoes donated," she said.

A young couple living nearby offered to move out of their small A-frame home so the Richardsons would have a place to spend the night. Holly and Greg accepted, spending three days there.

"It hadn't sunk in yet," she said of the loss of their home. "You kind of kick into this what-do-I-need-to-do-now mode. We made sure the kids were taken care of and had food and it was all overwhelming but it was not real yet. I didn't get angry and cry until the end of the summer. It took that long because I had to be mom to 20 kids."

We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child, and the example of the Richardson's neighbors shows how important community is. With no roof, the family camped on their lawn and stayed with friends, as neighbors rebuilt their house. In little more than two months the house was done, modernized, brought up to code, made wheelchair-accessible, and professionally decorated and landscaped.

"I'm really grateful for what they did because if we had gone through the normal insurance channels after the fire I don't think we'd be back in the house yet," Holly said. "It takes a really long time to get it done, and our friends got it done much faster."

Continued ...