Lazaro* is a Grade Four student who has been at Shade since his Pre-Unit year in 2022. He has faced more hardship than any child should have to endure.
Lazaro’s world began to fall apart when his father left the family, taking all of their belongings, and leaving Lazaro’s mother and brothers to fend for themselves. With nowhere else to go, Lazaro and his family moved into his grandmother’s small mud house. Life became difficult, and access to food, educational resources, and daily necessities became a constant struggle.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Lazaro’s mother became seriously ill with tuberculosis. As her health continued to deteroriate, she became unable to work or provide for the children. Due to her illness and the family’s financial hardships, they often faced discrimination and rejection from their community.
After a long battle, Lazaro’s mother passed away in the spring of 2026.
Being abandoned by his father, living in extremely difficult and uncertain circumstances, watching his mother suffer, and ultimately grieving her loss, have all left profound impacts on Lazaro. Today, he lives with his grandmother, who does her best to care for him and his brothers, but life is far from easy.
The pain from losing his mother has affected Lazaro’s ability to concentrace and perform well in school, connect with others, and make friends.
Unfortunately, Lazaro’s story is similar to so many others at Shade who have experience tragedy and hardship. For them, a home at Shade would not only provide shelter, it would give them a safe place to heal, to recover, and to learn to enjoy childhood again. With a safe and secure home and continued support from loving house parents, children can begin to rebuild their lives and dream of their futures.
*names changed for privacy
