When Elliot Costello visited an orphanage in Cambodia in 2013, his life changed in a way he never thought possible.

What he didn’t know, however, was that a meeting would take place which would also change the lives of thousands of others…

It all started in 2013 when Elliot Costello, a social entrepreneur from Australia, met a little girl named Thea.

Thea was a 10-year-old girl who sadly had ended up in an orphanage after being rescued from a terrible situation. She had suffered two years of physical and sexual abuse, and the violence against her had left a deep mark. Unfortunately, we would never have heard of this brave little girl without Elliot.

But let’s take it from the beginning…

Things got so bad that Thea’s mother could no longer care for her daughter, and she made the difficult decision to send Thea instead to an orphanage. Unfortunately, the little girl’s life there would become a living hell.

According to Polished Man, Thea was physically and sexually assaulted daily for two years by the orphanage’s director.

Ultimately, Thea was transferred to another orphanage in Phnom Penh, ran by Hagar International. During a visit there, Australian social entrepreneur Elliot Costello bonded with the child over games of naughts and crosses. The 10-year-old girl spread joy and positivity despite everything she had been through.

Thea always had nail polish on her little nails, and one day, she asked if she could paint Elliot’s. They sat and talked and had a lovely time together.

”As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering,” Elliot said.