The Starfish

Not only are starfish famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb. The starfish is the symbol of my mission. And here’s a story I like about starfish…

A man on a beach sees a woman picking up stranded starfish on the sand, and throwing them back into the ocean. He laughs at her. "Lady, you're crazy! There are thousands of miles of beach and hundreds of thousands of starfish. One person can't possibly make a difference in saving them.

The woman stoops down to pick up a glistening purple starfish and gently casts it back into the waves. "It sure made a difference to that one," she smiles.

And I am the crazy woman, and the children I bring to the United States are my starfish....

Elissa Montanti