Foster mother Rasa: we optimistically believed love would save Laura

Rasa, who together with her husband fosters Laura, a child with emotional and behavioural difficulties, says they optimistically believed love would be enough to help the girl, LRT.lt reports.

Eight years ago, Rasa and her husband decided to take in Laura, a child with no family, no visitors, and no one interested in her story. The couple already had two biological sons and wanted to help a child in need.

“She was one of the few who had nothing. No one visited her, she had no relatives, no one cared about her or her story. It seemed like she was a child from nowhere,” Rasa said.

The family was prepared for challenges, as Rasa works with people with disabilities and families raising children with special needs. They chose to foster an “exceptional case” – a child no one else wanted.

“I thought, if something happened to me or my husband, there are people around us – relatives, friends, colleagues – who would take care of our children. But for this little girl, for a year and a half, no one cared, no one visited her. There wasn’t a single person, not even a relative, who showed any interest in her,” Rasa recalled.

After six months of foster care procedures, two-year-old Laura moved in with the family. Initially, her development had been delayed, but she quickly caught up. However, challenges arose, including a lack of basic skills and a tendency to take and hide objects.

“When we went to the store, we had to watch her like a wild animal so she wouldn’t take things. She would put things in her mouth, hide everything. It seemed like she felt an unmet need to have, to receive, to fight for her place in the sun,” Rasa said.

Despite the difficulties, Laura now has a community that cares for her, which the family considers a great success.