... With these words Lena* clung onto my leg during a visit to a state-run orphanage.

One look into her fearful eyes was enough to tell you that she had lived through some horrific experiences. We learned from the home manager that she had been repeatedly abused by a caretaker.

Less than nine years old, Lena would repeatedly crawl away into a corner and allow no one the slightest glimpse into her seriously damaged soul. Only with constant medication could she be kept in some kind of calm state, but of course this did not solve her problems or heal her deep wounds.

We took her into our family nest. After a year of loving care, accompanied by therapy and pastoral care, the old Lena is now nowhere to be seen.

The security she felt in our family has given her a new love for life. She participates actively at school, plays with other children and is once again able to laugh from the heart. Her unhappy existence has been transformed into a meaningful life.

– Lena’s new parents –