ABOUT VIA
EARLY LIFE IN GUATEMALA
VIA's birth name was Silvia DeLeon. She was born during the civil war in Guatemala. In the late 80s her biological mother, Carlota, who was desperate and poverty stricken, ran away from an abusive husband and the war that was raging in her country. She made a heart-wrenching desperate decision to find a safe place for her daughter. She found an orphanage who promised to take care of her child. They promised that they would find a home for Silvia where she would be guaranteed to have a better life.
Heartbroken, Carlota's last words to Silvia were tearful. She begged her to never forget her. She also said, "This is your land. You are special and God's child. I love you and hope you will find it in your heart to come back home to us one day."
Silvia lived in the orphanage for about one year. She was almost seven years old when she was adopted by an American family.