....really I do.
I pride myself in trying to look at all angles of a situation before making a judgement. Makily taught me that. Typically I don't say "I would never" anymore. I learned VERY quickly after Makily was born that you truly DO NOT know how you are going to react until you are thrown into a situation blindly and without warning. Fostering J has also taught me a lot about life and people. I may not agree with the actions of J's parents that landed them in the situation they are in, I try not to judge them. I don't know what kind of upbringing or life they themselves have had.
ALL THAT BEING SAID..........
This is one thing I DO NOT understand no matter how hard I try to wrap my mind around it.
For those that do not know the story....here's the gist of it.
Baby girl "Danieal" was born premature. Her parents separated soon after her birth. She was diagnosed with CP when she was very young. Originally her mother had custody of her and was the primary caretaker. I know there were several other children in the home, mom has a total of NINE kids. When the little girl was about 3 or 4 the grandmother (mom to the MOM) called the father and told him that she feared for Danieal as she was not being cared for correctly and basically begged him to take her away from her daughter.
He did.
The father had a girlfriend who was a wonderful caregiver for her. The child flourished in the home. The girlfriend made sure she was well dressed, fed, happy and that she went to school. A few years later the Dad and girlfriend split. Things went downhill fast.
When Danieal was 11 the father asked the mother to please move in to help him care for her. She moved in along with her other nine children.....soon after Danieal's father moved out. Abandoning her with a mother he knew would not and had not cared for her properly in the past.
14 year old Danieal died in her mother's home on August 4, 2006. She was basically starved to death. When the paramedics arrived they found her laying on a putrid mattress in her own urine and feces. She had bed sores ALL over her back and her behind. The sores went clear down to the bone. At autopsy she weighed 42 lbs. Her arms and legs were skin and bones. In the report it states that one of the other children in the home told their mother that she needed to call 911 because something was really wrong with Danieal and she told them "she's fine, leave her alone". I also read that the only thing she could say in her last days was "water".
Yesterday I read the "Grand Jury Report" on her case. As I read I felt myself getting angrier and angrier when I realize how many people really failed this child. DHS had been involved for years. Several social workers were assigned to check up on her and make sure she was taken to the doctor, well fed and enrolled in school. From what I have read NONE of these basic needs were met since Danieal was 11 years old. So she laid in that bed slowly dying for THREE YEARS. It also states in the report that her mother was embarrassed to be seen in public with her and also did not want to touch her daughter, so anything that required touching the child did not get done. That explains why she was not bathed, changed or fed. Breaks my heart.
There is evidence that ALL of the social workers involved in this case falsified reports after her death. They filled out "visitation and progress reports" and pre dated them to make it look like they had been keeping on eye on her when in fact they had done NOTHING. Many if not ALL of the social workers involved in neglecting this child ARE STILL EMPLOYED BY DHS.
That's right YOU AS A TAX PAYER ARE PAYING THESE PEOPLE TO LET DISABLED CHILDREN ROT IN THEIR OWN BEDS.
I am disgusted and appalled.
There are several photos of Danieal in the grand jury's report. Most of them while she was happy in the care of her father's now ex-girlfriend. Then there is a photo of Danieal at autopsy. I almost did not look at it as I knew it would likely upset me. I did anyway and instead of upsetting me I got INCREDIBLY ANGRY! How ANYONE could EVER suggest that they had "just seen the child a week before and she was fine" is a COMPLETE AND TOTAL LIAR. Her back looks like raw meat. The bed sores are HORRENDOUS. I take that back, you can't even really make out one bed sore from the other BECAUSE HER ENTIRE BACK and her BEHIND IS ONE HUGE BED SORE. I can't imagine the pain she must have suffered. Urinating must have stung like fire and I can't even imagine what it must have been like for her to have a bowel movement.
Here is a link to the grand jury report:
GRAND JURY REPORT, WARNING AUTOPSY PHOTO IN REPORT!
What's even more sickening is now the child's mother is suing DHS for HER NEGLECT OF HER OWN CHILD! (click here to read article) That takes a lot of guts if you ask me. It even states that her parents have been deprived of the "love and companionship" of their daughter.
Daniel was denied of THE LOVE AND COMPANIONSHIP OF HER MOTHER AND FATHER ALL OF HER LIFE!!! She was denied of the most basic needs to survive so excuse me if I don't feel ANY sympathy for her murdering parents.
I understand the responsibilities and the pressure it is to care for a child that is disabled. I understand being tired, wanting to give up, wondering if things will ever get better. I realize that these parents did not sign up to have a disabled child and that this was thrown at them.
Been there, done that.
All that being said I DO NOT understand why they did not :
1. Give her up for adoption so someone else could take on the responsibility. I realize that there is tremendous guilt that goes along with giving your child up BUT on the other hand I can't imagine that the guilt of letting your child lay in bed with maggot filled bed sores is easier to deal with. This of course makes me wonder how guilty the mother truly felt, and if she was just keeping Danieal in her home for the SSI check (which by the way it's in the report that AS SOON as Danieal was living with her she made sure to get the check transferred into her name). I hate to say it but to me it looks like this was fueled by money.
2. WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T DHS TAKE HER AWAY FROM HER PARENTS!? They had several calls of neglect from neighbors who TOLD THEM the conditions Danieal was living in. While I realize this would have been more costly and more of a hassle for DHS (it would have been difficult probably to find a foster home with the right training to care for her) Danieal likely would have had a good life and be alive today.
Picture of Danieal's Mother:
Andrea Kelly
Picture of Daniele's Father:
Daniel Kelly:
Rest in Peace Danieal. I am sure you are in Heaven now with a huge crown on your head adorned with beautiful jewels. You deserve every single one of them. NO more pain or suffering. You can run free and fly high. No one can hurt you anymore.
Picture of a now Angel (taken while in care of her father's ex girlfriend):
Danieal Kelly
I pride myself in trying to look at all angles of a situation before making a judgement. Makily taught me that. Typically I don't say "I would never" anymore. I learned VERY quickly after Makily was born that you truly DO NOT know how you are going to react until you are thrown into a situation blindly and without warning. Fostering J has also taught me a lot about life and people. I may not agree with the actions of J's parents that landed them in the situation they are in, I try not to judge them. I don't know what kind of upbringing or life they themselves have had.
ALL THAT BEING SAID..........
This is one thing I DO NOT understand no matter how hard I try to wrap my mind around it.
For those that do not know the story....here's the gist of it.
Baby girl "Danieal" was born premature. Her parents separated soon after her birth. She was diagnosed with CP when she was very young. Originally her mother had custody of her and was the primary caretaker. I know there were several other children in the home, mom has a total of NINE kids. When the little girl was about 3 or 4 the grandmother (mom to the MOM) called the father and told him that she feared for Danieal as she was not being cared for correctly and basically begged him to take her away from her daughter.
He did.
The father had a girlfriend who was a wonderful caregiver for her. The child flourished in the home. The girlfriend made sure she was well dressed, fed, happy and that she went to school. A few years later the Dad and girlfriend split. Things went downhill fast.
When Danieal was 11 the father asked the mother to please move in to help him care for her. She moved in along with her other nine children.....soon after Danieal's father moved out. Abandoning her with a mother he knew would not and had not cared for her properly in the past.
14 year old Danieal died in her mother's home on August 4, 2006. She was basically starved to death. When the paramedics arrived they found her laying on a putrid mattress in her own urine and feces. She had bed sores ALL over her back and her behind. The sores went clear down to the bone. At autopsy she weighed 42 lbs. Her arms and legs were skin and bones. In the report it states that one of the other children in the home told their mother that she needed to call 911 because something was really wrong with Danieal and she told them "she's fine, leave her alone". I also read that the only thing she could say in her last days was "water".
Yesterday I read the "Grand Jury Report" on her case. As I read I felt myself getting angrier and angrier when I realize how many people really failed this child. DHS had been involved for years. Several social workers were assigned to check up on her and make sure she was taken to the doctor, well fed and enrolled in school. From what I have read NONE of these basic needs were met since Danieal was 11 years old. So she laid in that bed slowly dying for THREE YEARS. It also states in the report that her mother was embarrassed to be seen in public with her and also did not want to touch her daughter, so anything that required touching the child did not get done. That explains why she was not bathed, changed or fed. Breaks my heart.
There is evidence that ALL of the social workers involved in this case falsified reports after her death. They filled out "visitation and progress reports" and pre dated them to make it look like they had been keeping on eye on her when in fact they had done NOTHING. Many if not ALL of the social workers involved in neglecting this child ARE STILL EMPLOYED BY DHS.
That's right YOU AS A TAX PAYER ARE PAYING THESE PEOPLE TO LET DISABLED CHILDREN ROT IN THEIR OWN BEDS.
I am disgusted and appalled.
There are several photos of Danieal in the grand jury's report. Most of them while she was happy in the care of her father's now ex-girlfriend. Then there is a photo of Danieal at autopsy. I almost did not look at it as I knew it would likely upset me. I did anyway and instead of upsetting me I got INCREDIBLY ANGRY! How ANYONE could EVER suggest that they had "just seen the child a week before and she was fine" is a COMPLETE AND TOTAL LIAR. Her back looks like raw meat. The bed sores are HORRENDOUS. I take that back, you can't even really make out one bed sore from the other BECAUSE HER ENTIRE BACK and her BEHIND IS ONE HUGE BED SORE. I can't imagine the pain she must have suffered. Urinating must have stung like fire and I can't even imagine what it must have been like for her to have a bowel movement.
Here is a link to the grand jury report:
GRAND JURY REPORT, WARNING AUTOPSY PHOTO IN REPORT!
What's even more sickening is now the child's mother is suing DHS for HER NEGLECT OF HER OWN CHILD! (click here to read article) That takes a lot of guts if you ask me. It even states that her parents have been deprived of the "love and companionship" of their daughter.
Daniel was denied of THE LOVE AND COMPANIONSHIP OF HER MOTHER AND FATHER ALL OF HER LIFE!!! She was denied of the most basic needs to survive so excuse me if I don't feel ANY sympathy for her murdering parents.
I understand the responsibilities and the pressure it is to care for a child that is disabled. I understand being tired, wanting to give up, wondering if things will ever get better. I realize that these parents did not sign up to have a disabled child and that this was thrown at them.
Been there, done that.
All that being said I DO NOT understand why they did not :
1. Give her up for adoption so someone else could take on the responsibility. I realize that there is tremendous guilt that goes along with giving your child up BUT on the other hand I can't imagine that the guilt of letting your child lay in bed with maggot filled bed sores is easier to deal with. This of course makes me wonder how guilty the mother truly felt, and if she was just keeping Danieal in her home for the SSI check (which by the way it's in the report that AS SOON as Danieal was living with her she made sure to get the check transferred into her name). I hate to say it but to me it looks like this was fueled by money.
2. WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T DHS TAKE HER AWAY FROM HER PARENTS!? They had several calls of neglect from neighbors who TOLD THEM the conditions Danieal was living in. While I realize this would have been more costly and more of a hassle for DHS (it would have been difficult probably to find a foster home with the right training to care for her) Danieal likely would have had a good life and be alive today.
Picture of Danieal's Mother:
Andrea Kelly
Picture of Daniele's Father:
Daniel Kelly:
Rest in Peace Danieal. I am sure you are in Heaven now with a huge crown on your head adorned with beautiful jewels. You deserve every single one of them. NO more pain or suffering. You can run free and fly high. No one can hurt you anymore.
Picture of a now Angel (taken while in care of her father's ex girlfriend):
Danieal Kelly
