This cat is special to me because my grandma gave this to me when I was 10. I couldn’t really see my grandma in person that much because she was in Ecuador and I was here in Minnesota. My father told us he got a call from my mom who was in Ecuador in that time with my little brother. She said she sent some gifts on the mail and of course I love presents, so I was excited but what I got so excited about was that my grandma sent some gifts too. I was surprised because she doesn't really send us anything, so I was curious of what I got. I found out that my Grandma’s gift was a stuffed cat. It is so cute, fluffy and it looked real. Sadly, a year passed, and my mom called my dad to tell us some bad news. My grandma died at November 7, 2013, it was close to my birthday. My family got sad and I got depressed that my grandma was gone, and that I won't see her anymore. It was really a hard time for me, I wouldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and I kept crying. I got so sad that I didn’t realize that I still had something that I can have to remember my grandma, the stuffed cat. I realized it in 5 days. When I realized it, I kept hugging it tight and always would carry it everywhere with me. Although I had to stop because I noticed it was breaking a little, it is still the only item I have to remember her by, so I kept it in a safe place and until this day when I would go out somewhere, I would always say bye to it. That’s why my stuffed cat’s name is “special cat”. 

– Shirley

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child