The Girl in the Window

[ornotna]

10 years later.

A feral child was found starving, covered in her own filth, unable to walk or talk. A new family adopted the girl in 2007, called her Dani, and tried to make up for years of neglect.

At the far end of the room, beneath the wide window, the girl curled into the corner of the couch. Her bare feet were tucked beneath baggy sweat pants. Her honey hair hung across her eyes.
Housemates sprawled on armchairs, cheering college football on a big TV.
The girl, who just turned 19, twirled a strand of Mardi Gras beads around her wrists.
“There she is!” shouted a bearded man who came in carrying cupcakes. “Happy birthday, honey!”
Bernie Lierow set the dessert on a wide, wooden table and walked toward her, arms outstretched. For a second, she seemed not to notice.

http://www.tampabay.com/projects/girl-in-the-window/neglect-feral-child-ten-years-later/

I heard about this story on the radio a couple of days ago. Just heart breaking.

[LisaL]

1. Sure is heartbreaking.

She could have had a normal life if she was removed earlier.

[Pachamama]

2. I just read this story and watched the video....made me cry about what abuse can do to people

But what gives me hope is seeing a man like Bernie Lierow who gave her love and cared....

[MissB]

3. Utterly heartbreaking story.

Her father is a saint of a man.

What a travesty that her birth mother never really received punishment for the destruction she inflicted on her own baby.

[ornotna]

7. The father is a saint for sure

Thank goodness for the two workers at the group home as well. Shannon Wilson and Omar Bishop look like a couple of dedicated and caring people.

The birth mother is scum, to do this to her own child. My brain can't go there.

[Laffy Kat]

4. So tragic.

Still can't get past the part about the social workers visit to the mother's house when she was just a baby, seeing her, and then leaving. How bad does it have to be before they intervene? Really puzzling.

[marble falls]

5. I just don't know what to say.

[nolabear]

6. We are created through love and lost for lack of it.

The fact that she lived at all shows incredible strength.

[ornotna]

8. Kick for the Sunday crowd. nt

[aikoaiko]

9. When some people are broken there is no fix.

I hope her group home can take good care of her, but I suspect Dani will never have a truly good life.

Stories like this just break my heart.

I show students the old story of Genie, the 13-year old LA girl who was isolated in a bedroom from 2 - 13. Her post discovery life was well documented and she improved a lot, but when the money ran out the foster family/researchers/therapists who helped her gave her back to the system and she was eventually placed in a group home. Its heartbreaking video to watch.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. Total failure of CPS

"But twice in 2002, when Dani was around 4, people called to report seeing a little girl naked and starving. Social workers confirmed: “Feces. Filth. Neglect.” Each time, they offered help, which Crockett declined, and left Dani in her custody."

I realize CPS is underfunded in most states and there aren't enough foster parents, but how could they leave a child in this situation an additional 3 years? Barbaric

[B2G]

11. Read this and the original story last night.

So heartbreaking, but it does my heart good to know there are people in this world like Bernie Lierow.

Thank you so much for posting