Experience stories

An orphaned girl with Down Syndrome was offered for adoption to 127 families, all of whom declined. The girl’s story deeply touched the Wimmer family, leading them to embark on international adoption before even seeing a photo of the child.

In this Stories from the North episode, meet Carolina Vaz-Pires from Portugal, whose passion for education and travel has taken her across Europe. Host Linda Paulauska explores Carolina’s inspiring journey through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, spanning Latvia, Finland, and Estonia.

Giving lectures on creating human-centric solutions—providing frameworks and methods to ensure teams design meaningful projects that truly serve people and foster positive change.

Meet Ieva Putnina — diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at 12 years old. For years, she hid behind wigs and fear. But everything changed when she chose to embrace her true self.

Katie Leatherwood transforms lives with prosthetic solutions, helping individuals who’ve lost limbs. From Texas to the global stage, she’s currently making a significant impact in Latvia and aiding Ukraine.

Discover Erum Ali’s inspiring story in the latest Stories from the North episode. Host Linda Paulauska explores Erum’s journey from Pakistan to Finland as a single mother of two. Hear how she balances motherhood, education, and life in Lapland, showcasing courage, resilience, and determination.

Guided by a deep passion for understanding people, the natural progression led me into the world of Service Design—an ideal alliance that seamlessly integrates empathy with innovative solutions.

Marats Dzjubenko began painting at just 2 years old. By his early teens, his artwork was exhibited and purchased worldwide, marking him as a rising star in the art world.

With the help of a sperm donor, a couple was able to conceive a baby after years of infertility. This is the long-awaited child Emma and her story from the perspective of a donor-conceived child.

Years ago, Arina lived a challenging orphan life. Her transformative journey from adoption to relocation was captured in a published story. Seven years later, we reunited, and she holds the magazine encapsulating her remarkable journey – a story that touched many hearts.