The Day I Found Grace: A Rescue Born from Mother’s Instinct and Compassion

There are moments in life that imprint themselves so deeply they never fade. Moments that help form our purpose and drive us to action. This story of my first child rescue lit a fire in me that continues to burn as we launch She Will Soar. Every life is worth saving. Each girl matters. Sometimes all you have to do is notice and listen to that still, small voice in you and then take action. You could just save a life.

My time in Kenya was filled with many powerful experiences, but nothing compares to the day, or rather, the days, that led to rescuing a young girl whose life had quietly slipped into danger.

It began with an empty chair. It began with calling out her name, and no one responding. No one knowing where Grace had gone. It wasn’t unusual for children to miss a day or two from time to time, but something about this absence felt different. The next day, Grace's seat was still empty, no little hand raised when I called her name. By the third day, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The strange thing was that no one really knew much about Grace; where exactly she lived, who her family was, or if she had anyone caring for her. She was one of those children who blended quietly into the background, never causing trouble, never drawing attention. But someone needed to notice her. And somehow, that someone ended up being me.

When I realized no one could account for her whereabouts, I sent one of the school’s teachers into a remote nearby village to search for her.

That’s when we found the truth.

Her mother was there physically but not present in any meaningful way. She was drunk, mentally checked out, and emotionally unreachable. Her father, the only real source of stability and provision she had known, had passed away not long before. And now, with her mother struggling and broken, the home had become a place of deep instability.

Men frequently came into Grace's home, a small house built of mud walls and topped with a straw‑thatched roof, seeking her mother who was a prostitute and sold homemade alcohol. With her mother incapacitated, a nine‑year‑old girl was left alone in that environment; unprotected, unnoticed, and exposed to unimaginable risks. No one knows exactly what Grace may have faced, only that she lived in conditions where harm was not just possible, but likely.

When the teacher found Grace, she was basically on her own. No food. No supervision. No safety. Just a small, frightened child surviving in circumstances no child should ever endure.

That day, everything changed.

We brought Grace into safety immediately. She received medical attention, food, rest, and the security of people who genuinely cared for her. At first, she was withdrawn, understandably unsure of whether this new place could be trusted.

But slowly, day by day, her spirit began to re‑emerge.

She started watching the other children play. Eventually, she inched closer. One morning, as if something inside her finally loosened, she joined in. Soon she was laughing, a sound so pure and unexpected that it felt miraculous.

Grace began seeking me out, too. Small things at first: sitting beside me at mealtimes, showing me something she made, shy glances that slowly turned into confident smiles. One day, she quietly slipped her hand into mine and leaned against my arm; no words, just trust.

In that simple gesture, I felt her say what she couldn’t speak aloud:

“I know you found me. I know you saved me.”

Watching Grace heal was like watching a flower open after being buried under too much shadow. Each day she played a little more, smiled a little brighter, and stepped more fully into the childhood she had nearly lost.

Grace's story didn’t end with where she came from. It blossomed into what she became.

And I carry her smile, that first real smile, with me always.

With hope and gratitude,

Misty Duggan

Executive Director

She Will Soar

Note: For safeguarding reasons, her name has been changed and her photo blurred.