Isabelle

Homeward bound after three decades

Isabelle was adopted from Palna by a family in Sweden in 1992. Three decades later, in January 2023, she got in touch again and said that she wanted to come to Palna along with her husband! We were delighted to reconnect with her and welcome her back in Palna. In the interim years, she had had a happy childhood and grown up amidst much love from her family.  She was a gifted singer and has been giving performances with her band at numerous festivals and live events – and she also has a successful career as a music teacher!

Isabelle and her husband Georgios finally arrived in Palna on March 27^th 2023. It turned out to be a more emotional experience than she had expected, and she could not stem her tears when she met Loraine Campos (Assistant Director, Palna) who had been the adoption officer when she had left Palna 31 years ago!  Loraine gave them a tour of the Palna home and shared more recent accounts about children who had been placed in loving families. Georgios also was very interested in going around Palna as he was also looking at everything from a  doctor’s perspective.

The visit gave Isabelle a sense of closure, especially as could see for herself how much the children were loved and cared for in Palna. Georgios told us that they had been planning and looking forward to this visit for a long time now, and were delighted to finally be here.  In Isabelle’s words :

"I am thrilled to be back and see the amazing work done by Palna for the children. I had a lovely life growing up in a Scandinavian nation with wonderful parents after being adopted to Sweden in 1992. After 31 years, I feel incredibly fortunate to be returning, together with my husband, to the location where my adventure began. We take back wonderful memories and will remember you forever."

Listen in to a short conversation with Isabelle and https://youtube.com/shorts/vp-sNo9C4LQ?feature=share

It is always a wonderful feeling when our children return home and rekindle their old memories. We wish Isabelle and her husband all the happiness in the world, and look forward to their future visits.