Juliana was 25 at the time and a single mother in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She got wind that a gang was coming for her 9-year-old son Gabriel as a proxy for her ex-boyfriend, his father, who remained in hiding. The gang had already killed the father's three brothers and were now looking for Gabriel. She decided to head north to the U.S. with him, having to leave behind her 5-year-old daughter because she was too young to make the trip on foot. They had to make the treacherous journey through the Darién Gap—an extremely dangerous route, with migrants facing steep mountains, muddy terrain, and fast-flowing rivers. They told us stories of "La Llorona" mountain—a steep, scary trek where people die falling off the trail or drowning in a river, and the scary sounds of jaguars, monkeys, and snakes. They were robbed more than once and held hostage in Mexico for a month—forced to work off a toll of sorts since they didn't have any money left. They saw violence against women and girls, and fathers couldn't help as they were kept at bay with guns pointed at them. I asked what they ate during those months, and the answer was bread. They were given bread along the way by the kindness of strangers.

KTC met them on a plane as she was heading home from San Antonio, Texas, in December 2023. A group was brought on board, identically dressed and wearing ID bracelets. She knew immediately they were migrants being sent north. Mother and son sat next to her and promptly fell asleep. When they stopped for a change of planes, KTC used her rusty Spanish to talk with them and help them get to their next gate. She then found an ATM because she wanted to get money for them. They exchanged details, although Juli lost her phone making the river crossing to the Texas border station, where they presented themselves asking for asylum. They were given removal documentation and a court date in 2027.

They stayed in touch throughout 2024. They had left the Roosevelt Hotel shelter in NY, NY, and made their way to a friend's neighborhood in Chicago, where she worked in roofing twice a week and cleaning at a male prison when they needed a sub. Winter 2024 arrived, and roofing work stopped. Trump announced ICE raids in Chicago, and she was afraid. At that point, she had $3 in the bank. We offered to help them get to CT and provide housing and food while she figured out the next steps.

They arrived towards the end of January, and we took the boy to the doctor, where he got seven shots in the course of a week and enrolled in school shortly after. He is thriving and working hard to learn English. Thank you to those of you that helped buy him school uniforms! His biggest interest is fútbol, so he received soccer stuff for his 11th birthday. He is able to play on a team for the first time ever and is so excited for practice and game days.

As the end of the school year nears, we want him to stay engaged and active with English during the summer break. We found a 7-week summer day camp that costs $700 for the full session. He will need summer clothes as well since they came here with a single suitcase each.

Any funds received over the camp tuition and clothing allowance will be used for an immigration lawyer. The consultation stated that gang violence alone is not grounds for asylum, but because they belongs to a social group that puts him in danger, they might have a strong case in light of the proof that his uncles were killed because of the father's gang involvement. The lawyer suggests he files for special immigrant juvenile status as well since he cannot safely return. The lawyer quoted $11,000 start-to-finish, but we have heard of a lawyer that charges $7,000 instead.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

{Photos are for illustrative purposes of their journey, although the one of Gabriel's recent hair cut is one of my own.}