Elia is generally a very quiet, reserved, and sensitive child. Her mother isn't in the picture and she recently had a younger brother pass away. She craves female attention, and Child Protective Services has been called about this family for suspected abuse. When our Friends observed Elia in the classroom prior to being selected for Friends of the Children Austin, she did not engage with other children and did not have any friends in her class. She would regularly hide under tables and cry unconsolably. During the first outing at the Alamo Kids Camp with her Friend, Silvana, Elia did not smile or speak at all. When asked a question, she would merely nod or shake her head in response. At the end of the movie, Elia took Silvana's hand into hers and didn't let go.

Silvana was coordinating outings for Elia through her father's ex-girlfriend, Naomi. Naomi works at an electronics store and would watch over Elia and her older brother in the back room of the business all day. The two children only had an iPhone to entertain them during Naomi's shift and could not leave the back room. Friends provided Elia with a backpack filled with activities for the days she would be in the back room, including crayons, building blocks, books, and an Etch-A-Sketch. When Silvana dropped off the backpack to Elia at the store, she immediately lit up and started talking about how cool the building blocks were. Prior to this incident, Silvana had never heard Elia speak even once, and she had never seen her smile. Elia began to share the toys with her brother and they were both laughing and playing.