When her mother was killed by her spouse, Vanessa de Coninck found herself facing Sonia Elotmany, guardianship judge. Today, together, they help orphans.
Great stories can start very badly. This is the case of that of the Heavenly Mothers. When Vanessa, 23, meets Sonia, 31, then a guardianship judge, it is only to be accused of taking poor care of her brothers and sisters. “The encounter is abrupt,” recalls Vanessa. “I had to watch out for the interests of the siblings, explains Sonia. Four brothers and sisters aged 18 to 8, and a young adult. It was over time that I discovered that I was dealing with an exceptional woman. , to the point of admiring him. But my role did not allow me to tell him that.”
Because on the day of the worst drama of her life, Vanessa did not hesitate: “When our mother was killed by her spouse in 2011, Aurélien, my companion, helped me make the decision to become my brothers’ guardian. and sisters: we can’t abandon them, we’ll take care of them!” He is a plumber, she is a forklift driver, and they say goodbye to their small life as a couple to become heads of large families, overcoming the pain.
“A mother can no longer be there the next day. Femicide, accident, anything can happen”
“She had the courage to return to the home where their mother had lived with the murderer for years, Sonia breathes. As soon as I mentioned a difficulty, she said to me: “We’ll manage. “It was after I learned that she was going to the Restos du Coeur, it made me sad.” The infallible Vanessa managed to make all her brothers and sisters well-integrated adults. married Aurélien and they became parents of four boys, aged 10 to 3. Sonia, she also continues her life, and she is trying: “This job wears you out, because it is difficult to leave your heart at the door from the office. I was more and more on the side of my proteges, for whom I had empathy, affection, their story began to affect me…”
The files make him aware of the fragility of existence. “A mother can no longer be there the next day, that’s what I saw every day, says the one who has three children of 11, 8 and 7 years old. Femicide, accident, anything can happen. The siblings are not entitled to any help to raise the youngest, they do not know how to do it administratively, financially, humanly. Who will take care of it? No family is ready!” On the strength of this observation, she asks her sister, Rosa, to agree to be guardian “just in case” and to sign a testamentary guardianship.
Their association comes to the aid of those whom life has deprived of their parents prematurely
“My sister first told me that I was crazy, but this precaution could save fates!” The unpreparedness that Rosa discovers gives them the idea of creating an association to help those whom life has deprived of their parents prematurely. And Sonia exclaims: “And the godmother, I know her! It’s Vanessa, whom I followed for years!” “I said yes right away, continues Vanessa. For others to find the help that I would have liked to find myself.”
The association, which brings together affected people and sensitized goodwill, now organizes fairs, surprises for children who have suffered, events to inform and raise awareness. Sonia and Rosa, the two co-founders, accompanied by Vanessa, who is very involved, have just returned from Nice, where the deputy mayor responsible for women’s rights has offered them a permanent position. “We met orphans and put stars in their eyes by bringing gifts, bought thanks to donors!”, Sonia smiled.
“We try to give what the mothers would have wanted to give themselves”
The next step was to organize a charity gala in April, with elected officials and senior civil servants, so that a law enacts financial assistance and to raise funds in order to continue to sow stars. The fairies assure: “We cry a lot during the demonstrations that we organize everywhere in France. Of joy! Because we try to give what the mothers would have wanted to offer themselves!”