Gina was five, her sister still a baby, when their mother sent them to a Congolese orphanage, desperate for them to have a better life. Homeless and living in poverty after the death of their father, adoption by a Canadian family was the complicated answer to their prayers.

In this remarkably honest and powerful story, Gina describes her turbulent journey from the war-torn country to rural British Columbia. In a world that felt both familiar and foreign, she found love and stability with her new family and a passion for playing hockey. On the ice, she had purpose, a place where she could carve out her own space and silent the chaos of her past. When a devastating injury shattered her promising path, Gina was forced to confront the bittersweet reckoning of childhood memories.

Gina Yrjana is the 2026 recipient of the DreamHER publishing and media scholarship. She is an author, speaker, and college student living in BC.