Melisa, Mercy, and Alejandro came to Casa Angelina from the area of Huehuetenango. They all had suffered negligence, abandonment, verbal, physical, and psychological abuse from their mother. Their mother is a prostitute and an alcoholic who would regularly expose her children to dangerous situations. All three children have different fathers. Mercy and Alejandro recall their mother whipping them with cables and hitting them with sticks and coat hangers. One time, Alejandro was physically beaten up by his mother for accidentally breaking something in the house. He begged her for forgiveness, and she answered that she would keep beating him until he fixed his mistake.
Mercy says that when she came to Casa Angelina, she was sad at first because she loved her mom and felt like her mom loved them. She has since realized that her mother didn’t love them because being here has made her understand what love really is. All three children have adapted exceptionally well at Casa Angelina.