Our Story

“You can do it, Mama”

— Eduard “Edik” Smith, 2019

Edik said this the day I decided to share my dream with him of building “Heartstrings.”  I envisioned a program that would train orphans worldwide in the nine fruits of the Spirit through string instrument education:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, & Self Control

My precious son went to Heaven, but his encouraging words still ring in my head every day.  Edik would smile if he knew his kind words gave me enough fuel to power forward in the pursuit of this dream to change the lives of others like him.

Edik entered our lives initially at age 12,  when some children from Russia were brought to the US to find adoptive families.  After two years of paperwork, we were finally able to bring him home as he was nearing his 15th birthday.  

After the adoption, we learned all the details of his history. He experienced much trauma in his early years and entered the orphanage system a few years later. Edik and I spent many profound hours discussing his upbringing. Although the problems and challenges he faced ultimately took his life,  his legacy continues. There are perhaps thousands, if not millions of children that face those same challenges worldwide. This program endeavors to provide them with a sound character education developed through music.