Tadhana Designs is a unique jewelry business that helps people look great and feel grounded, while empowering kids in the Phillippines who are waiting to be adopted.
My dad died saving my mom’s life before I was a year old. My mother was unable to take care of three kids on her own, so she left my brothers and I with our grandmother. After three years of waiting for my mom to return, our grandma dropped us off at a government Drop-In Center. Several months later we were transferred to the Children’s Shelter of Cebu. After four years of trauma and chaos, CSC was the stable, grounding, loving place that I needed.
My Story
Moving from place to place and never having one true constant home as a kid, I started to believe that I was invisible to the world. It felt like I didn’t belong and didn’t matter. The thing that made the biggest difference at CSC were the moments where I felt seen. Even though there were 100 kids at the shelter, they made sure every single one of us had their own special birthday party every year. Having my own birthday party where I got to invite my closest friends made me feel seen, connected, and loved. For the first time, I felt like I mattered.
I had no idea how important those experiences were going to be…
The one thing I always wanted more than anything else was a complete family. I was really grateful to be adopted, but as I left CSC to move to another country, the challenges of my childhood came with me. One surprising challenge was how I could feel so alone even when I was surrounded with people. Connection felt impossible because I felt like an outsider. Nobody looked like me, talked like me, or had the same experiences.
Being part of a family was also a lot harder than I thought. I had to learn how to communicate and trust the strangers that had just become my parents. Years of suppressing my fear of abandonment showed itself in my relationship with my parents. I put pressure on myself to be the perfect child so they wouldn’t leave me. I believed that by doing everything right, I wouldn’t lose another set of parents.
CSC taught me that there is always hope and that true connections are possible, even in the hardest times. Those truths have empowered me to continue trying even when things seemed hopeless. Over time, I’ve been able to establish strong connections with others and begin processing through the trauma of my past. I will forever be grateful to CSC for being the critical first step on my journey of growth, and for showing me what was possible.
I am excited and honored to commit 25% of Tadhana’s profits to support CSC, so they can continue empowering kids on their journey towards adoption.
