Hope in the Midst of Tragedy: Elena’s Story

It’s no surprise that orphaned and vulnerable children come from hard places. Although every situation is different, these children all have something in common – some type of traumatic experience left them without a family. 

Because each child has a unique story and background, family-style care is never “one size fits all.” But there is one thing that never changes: love. We believe every child deserves a family…and we know that the love of a family will change a child’s life forever.

And when tragedy strikes a child’s life, the love of a family can begin the journey to hope and healing.

Elena’s Story

Three-year-old Elena, her mother, and her mother’s boyfriend were attempting to immigrate from Ecuador to the United States. Sadly, as they were traveling through the desert in Sonora, Mexico, Elena’s mother passed away.

Her mother’s boyfriend (just a young man at 17 years old) didn’t know what to do in such a tragic circumstance. He came upon some soldiers in Sonora and took Elena to them so they could call the proper authorities for help.

Usually, a child in Elena’s situation would be processed into an institution – an orphanage – for immigrant children. As a result, she may have remained in institutional care for quite some time while the government worked through her case.

But thankfully, because of you, there is another option - a better option - in Sonora. Rather than placing Elena into an institution, the government contacted our team in Hermosillo. We were immediately able to place Elena with a loving family until the government could find a more permanent solution for her.

Love and Comfort

While the government tried to contact relatives, Elena received the incredible love and care of a family. At such a young age, she wasn’t able to fully comprehend and process the loss of her mother, but she understood that something had happened.

In the first few days with the foster family, Elena struggled with nightmares. However, the family was able to comfort her and provide her with a sense of peace and stability. We are so grateful Elena was surrounded with the love and comfort of a family during such a difficult time.

Thankfully, the government in Sonora was able to locate some of Elena’s relatives. Her father is still in Ecuador, and the government also found and contacted Elena’s grandmother in New York.

The government is currently determining the best option for Elena. But in the meantime, we are so grateful that thanks to you, Elena was not placed into an orphanage. She didn’t have to endure the additional trauma of an institutional setting during a tragic time in her life. Instead, she was comforted and cared for by a loving family. Thank you for making that possible!

One Day. A Lifetime of Hope. GivingTuesday.

Thank you for being a hero to Elena. Without you, her story would be so different…you have changed this little girl’s life. And on Tuesday, November 30, there is another incredible opportunity for you to once again give a lifetime of hope to children around the world.

Tuesday, November 30 is GivingTuesday. We invite you to join us on this global day of generosity to help more orphaned and vulnerable children find loving families.

Your generosity on last year’s GivingTuesday was AMAZING. Thanks to you, The Hope Effect grew into two new locations in 2021…Michoacán, Mexico and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This GivingTuesday, our goal of $100,000 will be used to expand family-style care even further in our locations in Mexico, Honduras, and Thailand. Plus, you can double your impact! A generous team of donors is matching every donation dollar-for-dollar…up to $50,000! If we meet that match amount, we’ll hit our $100,000 goal!

And don’t worry…you don’t have to wait until November 30! If you’d like to jump in early, our donation site is up and running! All gifts made for GivingTuesday will be matched, even if you give early.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support. You make all of this possible, and we are so grateful. Thank you for changing the way the world cares for orphans!