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Helena's Story...
Helena met her American husband while still living in her native Guyana. Over the next 11 years, Helena gave birth to two daughters and a son. After having her 3rd child, her husband decided to move back to the United States. However, he told Helena they could only bring the two youngest children; the oldest would have to stay behind and live with her maternal grandparents. Helena was distraught and heartbroken, but wanting to be a dutiful wife, she complied, yet she never gave up hope of bringing her eldest daughter to join the family.
After arriving in the U.S., Helena attended college while also working as a teacher’s aide. Within two years of leaving her home country and relocating to the U.S., her husband became abusive. To escape the fear and abuse of her husband, Helena and her two children sought refuge, staying at a friend’s house in an extra bedroom. Her friend’s bedroom afforded her the time to research available social services for her family, eventually finding her way to Family Promise. During this time, Helena’s oldest daughter was finally approved to live in the U.S.
Helena was accepted into our Road to Independence program. Working with her Family Promise case manager, she immediately started the divorce process. She and her children participated in weekly individual counseling to process the trauma experienced. Through it all, Helena was determined to be the best mother and provide her children with a home and the safety they deserved. She continued going to school for Business and Information Technologies.
Now, Helena is working in her field of study, Information Technologies, and recently received a promotion. She continues counseling along with her eldest daughter who just started college at FIU in Fall 2023 and is working towards her dream of becoming a dentist. Everyone is doing remarkably well!
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