Two months ago, a sweet little girl graced my life. She came as Vitória, but that name didn’t feel quite right. To let her decide her new name, I wrote three names on pieces of paper and placed a cookie on each. She picked “Greta Maria.”
Her exact age is unknown but likely about two years old. Her story is heartbreaking: bound and confined, forced to sleep on cold concrete, never bathed, and so neglected she smelled terribly and even fleas avoided her. She’d never felt the warmth of sunlight—until now.
Today, Greta Maria is a beacon of hope. Here she is, proud and radiant after climbing onto a puff independently, finally soaking in the sunshine she’d never experienced before.