ELA FUGIU DE CASA AOS 4 ANOS E SUA VIDA FOI TRANSFORMADA | Histórias de ter.a.pia

At the age of 4, Stefany was forced to sell candy on the Campo Grande boardwalk in Rio de Janeiro. One day, she made a decision that would change everything: she decided she would never go back home. It was more than an escape; it was a cry for help. Raised by her grandparents after her mother was hospitalized for drug addiction, Stefany grew up in an unstable and dangerous environment. Her grandmother was her only source of protection. Her grandfather was aggressive, and her uncles were involved in drugs. There were about 11 people living in the small house where they lived. When she went from the living room to the kitchen, they would bump into her and harass her. And no one did anything. Her escape happened after her grandmother died. Stefany took a bus alone and went to the beach. She stayed on the sand until it got dark, when two security guards came. She just said she didn't want to go home because her grandfather would beat her up. From that moment on, Stefany's life changed. She was sent to a shelter, where the difficult adoption process began. When she was 5 or 6 years old, she was adopted by an extremely loving family, but she was afraid of being returned, of being a nuisance. Stefany didn't talk about her desires. It was only years later that she had the courage to say that she dreamed of taking dance lessons or visiting some places. Art was her refuge. Music came to her through her adoptive father, a sweet man who played in nursing homes and shelters. He encouraged her to try out instruments until she found the viola (for laymen, it's like a large violin). The most anticipated day was her performance with the city orchestra, but her father didn't make it. He had left suddenly. There she wondered if she should keep playing, since her greatest inspiration was gone. But she came back. With the support of her friends, she continued studying and trying for a place at @ojesp_. And she got it! Stefany plays in one of the best youth orchestras in the country, @salasaopaulo_. Music saved her and healed her from traumas that she might never have overcome on her own. Today, Stefany continues to play music. Her achievement is this: playing with love, as her father taught her.