Hugs and Hope: Marisol’s Story
Marisol captured our hearts in February when we met her for the first time. The Hope Effect was in Hermosillo, Sonora, signing our contract with the government to become the first nonprofit in the state of Sonora to provide family-style care.
After the contract signing, we had the opportunity to tour the government-run orphanage. We were excited to interact with and show love to those children from hard places.
Moments after we arrived, Marisol ran up and jumped into the arms of The Hope Effect's founder, Joshua Becker...squishing his face and giving him a big hug. Of course, we immediately wanted to know more about this darling little girl.
marisol’s story
Marisol had been in an orphanage for her entire life. At three years old, she had never known the love of a family.
Think about all the moments Marisol never experienced over those three years. Marisol had never been tucked into bed by her mom. She had never gotten a piggyback ride from her dad. She had never played carefree games with her siblings.
Instead, she was cared for by a revolving staff of employees at the orphanage. And although those staff members are no doubt loving, caring, and selfless people, they are no substitute for the love of a mother and father.
That's not the life we wanted for Marisol - or any child. We know every child deserves a family. And as we do with every orphaned and vulnerable child we encounter, we dreamed of getting Marisol out of that orphanage and into a family.
more hugs…and more hope
Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long! Over the summer, we were able to train and certify the first group of families to provide family-style care.
And last month, Marisol became one of the first children placed into family-style care in the state of Sonora. For the first time in her life, she was able to leave the orphanage and go into a stable home with loving parents.
It was such a joy to see Marisol hugging her new family...while remembering the hugs she gave when we first met her in the orphanage.
Growing Up and Growing Together
Today, Marisol is bonding with her foster parents and siblings. She loves playing with her new sisters, and she's learning what it means to be part of a loving family. We love seeing Marisol smile and laugh - her joy is contagious.
In addition, she is literally growing up before our eyes. In the one month she's been in family-style care, Marisol has grown almost half an inch! That's not uncommon - when children receive proper care (including individual attention, health care, and quality nutrition), they often grow quickly.
We are so thrilled with the positive changes in Marisol, and we can't wait to keep you updated on her progress. After all, you made this possible!
Thank you so much for your generosity and support. To this special little girl, you are a hero. You are changing Marisol's life, and you are changing the way the world cares for orphans!
