Between 3 and 4 children are abused or neglected every hour of every day in the US. Most often children are abused by the people they love and trust most – their parents or guardians. We see children like David every day at Pendleton Place.
David
David was found tied to the bars of his crib in the small trailer he shared with his parents and five siblings. He was filthy, covered with sores, and his body bore innumerable marks and bruises. He had contracted spinal meningitis as a toddler, leaving him with mild brain damage and difficulty with basic motor skills. His parents claimed they restrained him for his own safety and the bumps and bruises were the result of a fall.
David came to us at Pendleton Place.
He could not walk or talk. He grunted and screeched like an animal and crawled and scooted himself on the floor. He was five years old.
To help him develop his motor skills, David was enrolled in a center for children with special needs and under the diligent care of his physical therapist he greatly improved. He even learned to walk--with difficulty and doctors prescribed medication to help his hyperactivity. At Pendleton Place, David learned to use a spoon and fork. Then, after three months, the Family Court returned David to his natural parents.
David continued at the center for special needs children and with the help of a speech therapist, he learned to talk. When he arrived one morning with a burning red hand mark on his face, he was able to tell the teacher, "Mama did it."
Authorities returned David to Pendleton Place.
Because of the severity of his problems, David's caseworker had a difficult time placing him in a foster home and his stay extended to eight months. During this time, David's condition improved dramatically. By the time a foster home was finally arranged, David spoke in complete sentences and was physically capable of riding a bicycle. He continued to improve substantially and began attending regular classes in public school. Best of all, he was adopted by his foster family!