Luna was born into a loving family in Guatemala. Her mom and dad were very young and excited to welcome her into their lives. In their home, Luna also lived with her maternal grandmother and grandfather, who were overjoyed to have a new

baby in the family. She was named 

Luna because she was born in the

 middle of the night on February 29th a

 day that doesn't always appear every

 year. Her parents thought 

the name Luna, meaning

"Moon," was perfect for

 their little girl who arrived

 under the night sky. 

Infancy (0-18 months)

When Luna was born, everyone at home was excited because she was the first baby for her mom and dad and the first granddaughter for her grandparents. Her grandmother often helped her mom take care of her, especially when her parents had to go to work. Luna was surrounded by love and care, and she was a happy baby who felt safe and comforted by her family.

Early childhood (18 months - 3 Years)

Luna was growing fast and loved to do everything on her own. She wanted to choose her clothes, feed herself, and explore her surroundings. Her parents always praised her for trying new things, which made her feel proud and capable. Even though her mom and dad were very young, they worked hard to make ends meet. 

Life was getting harder, and they both wanted to give Luna a better future. Her father decided to travel to the United States to find a good job. He wrote one letter saying he had found work and things would get better soon. But after that, no more letters came. Lunas mother became worried and decided to go to the United States too, hoping to provide a better life for her daughter. Luna stayed in Guatemala with her grandparents, who loved and cared for her while she waited for her parents return. 

Preschool (3 - 5 years old)

As Luna grew older, she began asking her grandparents many questions. She wanted to know why her dad left first and then why her mom left too. Luna didn't understand and sometimes thought her parents didn't love her anymore. Her grandparents explained that her mom went to the United States to find work since they had never heard from her father again. But Luna couldn't understand this. "Theres work here," she would say softly. 

 Luna's grandparents were still young, and soon her grandmother became pregnant. Her grandparents focused more on caring for their new baby. Luna started to feel even more alone, thinking it was her fault that her parents had left her. She often played by herself, building and creating things, hoping her grandparents would notice. But they were too busy with the new baby, and Lunas little heart felt sad and forgotten. 

School Age (6-11 years old)

When Luna started going to school, she felt happy and excited. She enjoyed learning new things and making new friends. Her grandparents also began attending church and would take Luna with them every weekend. Luna felt even happier when she saw that some of her friends went to the same church. After some time, the pastor began giving sermons about parents who leave their children behind with grandparents and go to another country to start new families. Lunas grandmother started to change after hearing those messages. She became distant and less affectionate towards Luna, believing the paster words were true and that Lunas parents had done wrong. 

Lunas grandfather didn't agree with how the grandmother was treating Luna. He still tried to show her love and support, but the grandmother was very influenced by the pastor and felt that he was right because he was a man of God. Luna tried her best to do everything right help around the house, do well in school, and make her grandmother proud but it always seemed like nothing she did was good enough, the warm relationship they once had started to fade, and Luna began to feel unloved and unworthy. She thought maybe she wasn't good enough for anyone's love. 

Adolescence (12 - 18 years old)

As Luna entered her teenage years, she began to make her own choices and think for herself. Her grandparents still went to church every weekend, but Luna no longer felt connected to it. She started telling them she didn't want to go and eventually, they allowed her to stay home. During this time, Luna began to feel and emptiness inside her. She wanted to feel loved and understood, so she started dating, hoping that having someone by her side would fill that void. But no matter how many people she met, she still felt lonely. Luna decided to reach out to her mother, asking if she

could go live with her in the United

States.