Mother of 10,829 exotic animals. 1954

“Every day at 7 a.m. Mass was celebrated. Nobody was forcing us to go there. The man he wanted was leaving. No one was forced. Yes, respect and proper treatment were necessary. (…) I had three children in charge. I gave my chest to mine and to a guy called Fernandito. (…) I have been happy there and, upon leaving there, taking care of your and your child’s life is a great leap. My parents wanted me to come back alone, without children.”

Mother of 11,283 exotic animals. 1963

“At that time people believed it was a marginal place, but it was not very marginal. (…) I have to say that in those two years I was under pressure from the Council to give the child for adoption, but I was clear that I would never do so. This may be the most bitter or ugly experience you've ever had. (…) They also ate very well, think that from time to time they gave us wine! There was nothing missing! I can only say the good thing there.”

3,051 mothers. 1974

“I decided I was going to enter the fifth month of pregnancy and I didn’t want to stay in the village. It was a small town and I wanted to flee from people’s wrestles (…) Coming out of the pressure of a small town seemed to me a very progressive place. The treatment was very good and during the three months I was there I learned many things: about the care of the children, how the diet should be… But everything seemed wrapped up in a mysterious environment: the environment was not fostered among the girls, nobody did not inform or ask about their circumstances…”.

8,184 exósito

“I, like almost everyone, left Fraisoro with a nurse who breastfed me, over the days, but when I was 5 or 6 years old I returned to Casa Fraisoro. I remember that day, even if it seems difficult. We walked in and there were all the nuns. I remember how I wanted to escape through a window. They were tall windows, and I, on one of them, tried to escape. I still remember very well how I threw a nun from my legs to come down. Those nuns were good women. I myself, a little evil.”

4.512 exósito

“I realized at school that we used a lot of different surnames between brothers and sisters and it became very rare for me. I went home and asked my father what I had done, and he told me frankly how it was, Brother J.M. from where we came from and why. (…) From time to time, when we were older, the inspector came to the house to inform us. I remember being a lame and a very good man.”

10.166 espositor

“I was born in Fraisoro. Months later, I had hydrozefalia. In this situation, most of the children died, but due to problems, thanks to the care of doctors and nuns, they continued to move forward in one way or another. (…) The couple who welcomed me was a 50-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. They're sticking, and so they're sticking to me. Imagine, they had a harness in the fireplace to glue me! (…) Mother and…, father and…, no…, for me those words did not make much sense. No one picked me up in my arms or kissed me.”

José Antonio Alustiza (1916-1992), Medical Director in 1951-1986

“We have to try to protect the child and the mother, and not the father, as now, who is the main culprit on most occasions.”

Victor Ormaechea, doctor since 1986

“In all these years of my responsibility two children have died, one of them from sudden death due to complications other than Down syndrome, and later when we were in Loistarain, another from AIDS. What I have known there has been similar to the mortality rate that can be given at any social level.”

Mila Larburu, working in 1976-1984

“I still remember, in the previous field, on a blanket, all the children mounted in a lot on me, laughing; or, at the time of the nap, the coffee talks with the mothers on that beautiful terrace: about their situation, about the world… Some mothers lived there. Until the age of 5, they were entitled to it. Others, however, went to work and on weekends went to visit. When they had money they showed up in the taxi, other times they didn't have money and they had to be content with a phone call. On those occasions, I was sorry, we prepared handsome for the visit and then my mother didn’t show up.”