Stories of Change


Disclaimer: for the safety and protection of the children in this story, a stock image has been used

A Family’s Courageous Journey

If your home was on fire and staying meant you would likely die, what would you do? If your children were there with you, would you keep them inside, or push them to leave? This hypothetical scenario is the reality for many families who have had to flee their country. It is also the reality for children like Isabella and Samantha whose parents, hoping to save them, sent them out of their home on their own. 

Isabella and Samantha were just 15 and 8 years old when they had to leave Guatemala. The events that led to this decision were many years in the making. Isabella and Samantha’s father, Ricardo, is from Nicaragua, but he had to flee when he was just 17 because of threats from gangs. In Guatemala, he met Lupita, and the couple gave birth to three children: Raul, Isabella and Samantha. Unfortunately, 16 years later, history repeated itself when Raul became a teenage boy and the gangs gave him only two options: join or be killed. Seeking a third option, the family decided that Raul would flee to the United States with his dad, where they would seek asylum. 

For two years, Lupita and her two daughters remained in Guatemala, hopeful that the rest of the family could return when it was safe to do so. This home that they loved so much and that Lupita remarked as “a beautiful land,” however, only became more and more dangerous for the family. Isabella began to experience threats from adults who threatened to kill her. The threats quickly became very real when one of the adults broke into the school to try harming Isabella, and the next day, Isabella was nearly run over by a car, driven by these adults. As Ricardo explained, “In Guatemala, they’re not just threats, they go through with it,” adding that these same people had taken the lives of others before. 

“I knew that if we stayed, it would have been a matter of life and death,” said Lupita. Since the family had not originally planned to leave their home, they only had enough money to send two people to safety. Without thinking twice, Lupita and Ricardo agreed to send their daughters. 

The family knew the risks that existed on the journey to the United States, but the danger at home was far greater and Isabella couldn’t even go to school anymore. The young girls traveled in a group of other children who were also trying to reach the border and spent each harrowing day walking or on a packed bus. Their journey took a turn when Isabella got gravely ill and had to rely on the other strangers in her group to get her help. “Isabella says that thank God she’s alive because with how sick she got, she felt like she was dying,” explained Ricardo. 

Through her own strength and determination, Isabella got better and was able to continue forward until she and Samantha finally reached the border. Here, they were processed as unaccompanied children and were connected to their dad, who had been anxiously awaiting their arrival. “It was an unforgettable moment,” Ricardo told us, holding back tears as he recalled the moment he finally reunited with his daughters. “I had gone two years without seeing them. They were so big. I almost didn’t recognize Samantha because when I had left she was so small.” He added that the four of them spent the rest of the day as a family, sharing, “We did the many things I had dreamed of doing with them during the years we were apart.”

Shortly after, Lupita began her own journey to reunite with her husband and children, sharing that she often traveled 2-3 days with no access to food or a restroom and packed “like sardines.” She reflected, “The trip was a long process and is something I don’t wish on anyone,” and confessed that many times she wondered if they had done the right thing by sending Isabella and Samantha on the same journey. These doubts disappeared the moment she received news that her girls had made it. They were safe. 

In Pennsylvania, the family became whole again, feeling an overwhelming gratitude that they were all alive and well. When they found out they were eligible to receive services through CWS, they couldn’t believe it. “Believe me, I never believed I would receive so much support. I’m so thankful to God because, for us, you are all like angels who have given us a hand. I’ve always believed in God and I believe that God has placed people on earth who are angels to others. I pray that this organization is blessed,” said Lupita. 

In partnership with their case manager, the family of five has been able to get back on their feet and have been reminded that they are deserving of care. Lupita remembers when their case manager helped enroll them at a low-cost health clinic she told her case manager, “I don’t exist here,” reminding her that she still didn’t have proper documentation. Her case manager assured her that this didn’t matter and that the whole family had the right to health care. Lupita thought her case manager had made a mistake until she saw her name listed along with the rest of her family members and she said, “Thank you! I never imagined that I would have human rights here.”

The family’s case manager has also supported the family by helping to enroll the girls in school, something that Lupita is extra excited about, sharing that she didn’t have the chance to go to school as a child because she grew up as a street child and orphan. She added that she didn’t learn to read or write until she was 14 years old and stated, “My greatest dream is that my children become great people and accomplish what I couldn’t.” Isabella, determined to provide safety in a way that she was unable to receive back home, has decided that she wants to become a police officer. Similarly, Samantha wants to become a doctor so that she can take care of people. 

In their new life, the family enjoys fishing together and feels grateful that they no longer have to worry about not having enough food or experiencing dangers like the ones they faced in Guatemala. Ricardo and Lupita, despite having little, gave everything they had to do what any parent would do for their child in their situation. From the ashes, they are rebuilding a life that is not just safe, but full of hope and overwhelming love for one another. 

*Note: pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity of the individuals in this story

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