Horryfying/Uplifting Story of Abuse/Redemption

[roy-nexus-6]

Simultaneously the worst and best article I've ever read: http://tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece

"...  The driver's door was open and a woman was slumped over in her seat, sobbing. She was an investigator for the Florida Department of Children and Families. 'Unbelievable," she told Holste. "The worst I've ever seen.'

'I've been in rooms with bodies rotting there for a week and it never stunk that bad,...It sounded like you were walking on eggshells. You couldn't take a step without crunching German cockroaches,' the detective said.

At his feet, something stirred. First he saw the girl's eyes: dark and wide, unfocused, unblinking. She wasn't looking at him so much as through him.

[He Man]

dude. that was the best article ive read in years. i really dont know what to say.

[roy-nexus-6]

dude. that was the best article ive read in years. i really dont know what to say.

It's an extraordinary story. There is a slide show, too: http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2008/reports/danielle/

The screen capture is of her with her adopted brother William. He drives, she toots the horn.

[zarn02]

wow.

[derby]

good read.

one thing, though:

"Radio ahead to Tampa General," the detective remembers telling his partner. "If this child doesn't get to a hospital, she's not going to make it."

how long had she been in that situation and NOW they have to hurry her to the hospital or "she's not going to make it"? 

[Kyna]

^^^  it's not like the police were the one's keeping her in that situation.  The system is broken, which shouldn't be news to anyone.

Great article.  I'm glad the reporter went back an interviewed the biological mother.  It was an interesting read, sad, but interesting.  Amazing that feral children still occur in a modern civilization.

[NAKID]

WTF!?!

OMG I would have had a hard time not shooting that whole family for the way that girl ended up!

[TiNi]

i feel sadness, anger, and happiness from reading that article...

i am hopeful for dani's future.

thanks for posting it roy-nexus-6  

WTF!?!

OMG I would have had a hard time not shooting that whole family for the way that girl ended up!

i'm sure ANYONE who reads it will feel that way...
...try feeling happy for dani instead... she's with a family who will love her now.

[KnightofNi]

i'm glad the girl got away from that situation, but no amt of love and care when she was a baby would have changed the fact that she has an iq of 50. she would have required constant attn and help her whole life anyways, they just would have had an early start on getting her functional.


the mother has an IQ of 77, borderline retarded, why wasn't she spayed a long time ago?
she also needs to be strung up and horsewhipped for putting a human through that. 

[jclin]

I'll refrain from making any judgments about the mother because it might not be pretty.

I think for me, the most beautiful part of that story is the small bit about Dani's new brother giving up his room, his toys, his clothes and sleeps in the scariest places just for his new sister. It tells you how much Dani invokes the most basic caring response from even young kids and how selfless is her brother. Beautiful story.

[roy-nexus-6]

i'm glad the girl got away from that situation, but no amt of love and care when she was a baby would have changed the fact that she has an iq of 50.

The '50' might not be that accurate - I.Q tests rely on completing language & mathematical tasks in a certain period of time. Dani has trouble sitting still for longer than 5 mins, & has tremendous trouble on focusing on a given task. And the real problem is her brain isn't wired in a conventional manner now - she never made the neural connections she needed for speech. That damage may or may not be repairable.

thanks for posting it roy-nexus-6  

Welcome! 

I think for me, the most beautiful part of that story is the small bit about Dani's new brother giving up his room, his toys, his clothes and sleeps in the scariest places just for his new sister. It tells you how much Dani invokes the most basic caring response from even young kids and how selfless is her brother. Beautiful story.

+11tyb

[DCXCV]

i'm glad the girl got away from that situation, but no amt of love and care when she was a baby would have changed the fact that she has an iq of 50. she would have required constant attn and help her whole life anyways, they just would have had an early start on getting her functional.


the mother has an IQ of 77, borderline retarded, why wasn't she spayed a long time ago?
she also needs to be strung up and horsewhipped for putting a human through that. 

I think it's hard to know if that 50 IQ was a given at birth or if it happened because of her lack of socialization. 

[mstevens]

the mother has an IQ of 77, borderline retarded, why wasn't she spayed a long time ago?

Because in a humane and civil society, we don't practice eugenics.

It never works, anyway.

[KnightofNi]

I think it's hard to know if that 50 IQ was a given at birth or if it happened because of her lack of socialization. 

isn't IQ somethign that you are born with? it never changes (unless you suffer a head trauma)

[ducpainter]

isn't IQ somethign that you are born with? it never changes (unless you suffer a head trauma)

I believe that's true...

the problem is the 'tools' they use to measure assume education and socialization.