Not all children are lucky enough to be given the best start in life, and Liza, a little girl from Russia, knows this all too well.
Born in a Russian city called Yaroslavl, Liza Verbitskaya had quite the Harry Potter beginning, having been abandoned by her parents at an unused house.
It was only by fluke that a neighbor would hear her crying and realize that something was wrong.
When this neighbor realized that the crying was becoming more persistent, but that the house showed no signs of being occupied, he began to really worry, and eventually called the police.
When police arrived at the home, they found it empty and derelict. Whoever had lived there had packed up their belongings and left – leaving their own baby behind.
Police identified the little girl as Liza and began to search for her parents.
But nobody who knew the parents had any idea where they were and where they had planned to go.
Liza was taken to hospital to recover, and it was there that she met a woman called Inna Nika.
Inna had been visiting her sick son, but was drawn to Liza’s ward when she heard the little girl scream. She was first concerned that Liza might need help, but it was a maternal pull she felt towards Liza that kept her coming back again and again.
Inna bought small presents for the little girl in the form of toys, food and clothes.
The pair began to bond, and Inna looked forward to her visits to Liza.
But then, one day, Inna arrived in Liza’s room to find that the little girl was no longer there. Apparently, she had been well enough to leave to be released from hospital.
Liza had been sent to an orphanage, and Inna felt empty.
She longed to be reunited with the little girl, so Inna decided to look for her.
As soon as she found Liza, Inna knew that she had to adopt her. After filling out the paperwork and waiting tensely for a decision to be made, there was finally good news: Inna was Liza’s new adopted mother.
By this point, Liza was nearly two years old, and was beginning to show signs of trauma from her parents’ abandonment. She didn’t like loud noises and she couldn’t chew properly.
Inna was determined to show the little girl what a good mom looked like.
As Liza grew into a child, Inna was with her for every milestone. When Liza struggled to walk, Inna joined her in a dance school. Liza began to blossom with newfound confidence.
With her distinctive pretty features, Liza started to get noticed for all the right reasons by her peers.
She won several talent shows and beauty contests, and even worked as a children’s clothes model.
Liza became so well-known that her biological mother was able to trace her and get in touch. She had obviously seen how well her daughter was doing without her, and it had spurred her to make contact.
But Liza had no interest in bonding with a mom who had abandoned her when she was most vulnerable and left her for the dead.
Now 10 years old, Liza is thriving. She has a loving family and friends, and a promising future ahead of her.
She’s proof that a person’s past doesn’t define them.
You can watch a video with more of Liza’s story just below.
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