The girl in the window

[n2doc]

Lane DeGregory, Times Staff Writer



PLANT CITY — The family had lived in the rundown rental house for almost three years when someone first saw a child's face in the window.

A little girl, pale, with dark eyes, lifted a dirty blanket above the broken glass and peered out, one neighbor remembered.

Everyone knew a woman lived in the house with her boyfriend and two adult sons. But they had never seen a child there, had never noticed anyone playing in the overgrown yard.

The girl looked young, 5 or 6, and thin. Too thin. Her cheeks seemed sunken; her eyes were lost.

The child stared into the square of sunlight, then slipped away.

Months went by. The face never reappeared.

Just before noon on July 13, 2005, a Plant City police car pulled up outside that shattered window. Two officers went into the house — and one stumbled back out.

Clutching his stomach, the rookie retched in the weeds.

more

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/the-girl-in-the-window/750838

[DetlefK]

1. Just read the article.

[DreamGypsy]

2. Just read the article.

Whew.

[Mnemosyne]

3. ...

[byronius]

4. Man, that was an intense article. Can't even write a comment.

[grilled onions]

5. how many more?

How many Dani's are out there waiting to be fed...to be held...waiting to have a life like other children?

[progressoid]

6. We need more of Bernie and Diane

wow

[hankthecrank]

8. Yes they seem to be just what she needed. Her new brother too

[Maraya1969]

10. It upset me that he doesn't have his own bedroom though and that he was scared at night.

Maybe he wanted to give his bedroom to Danielle. He seems like a really great brother to her.

[Tx4obama]

15. At the end of the video it said that they have sold their house and moved out of state...

... so my guess is that their new house will have more bedrooms.

[Maraya1969]

17. Oh thanks for telling me that. I just read the article.

[Mosby]

7. That "mother" should be in prison.

How is it possible that the law prevents breaking parental custody in a circumstance like this?

[Throckmorton]

16. Children are property in many people minds.

As a foster and adoptive parent, I have seen how the system works. I is not pretty, nor particularly effective, and I live in Connecticut, which is a very liberal state.

My youngest, had lived in 8 foster homes, and been reunited with his bio mother twice by his third birthday. He was born in federal prison while mom served time for violating probation on felony weapons charges she had received for robbing a gun store at 18. She was 38 when he was born, and had two other children, both of them surrendered to DCF by age 1.

Having partly raised two autistic biological children myself (several year were as a single parent after my first wives death), he has his own special challenges, including not trusting I or my wife will ever return when we leave (massive fear of abandonment). But he is now six, and greatly improved.

[MountainLaurel]

18. Not just in minds, but legally as well

Family law in many states is horrifying in terms of the power it gives parents to do anything and everything to their children.

[Ash_F]

9. Powerful story. Thank you for sharing.

Much respect should be given to all of the people who came into her life to save her, not the least of which being her new parents.

[Tx4obama]

11. K&R n/t

[Stuart G]

12. k and r

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Just wow. No words, either... K&R.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

14. wow.

[mimitabby]

19. now that was a story

it was really nice of them to include photos. It is obvious that the girl is doing so much better than anyone could have hoped for.

[Uncle Joe]

20. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.

[Quantess]

21. Did you see the photos of her as a teen?

http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2011/photo_galleries/girl_in_the_window/

[underpants]

22. Bernie and Diane are simply angels

just wow

[Rhiannon12866]

23. That was my reaction, too.

I could barely find words.

[Poll_Blind]

24. Just finished reading that whole article. Highly recommended to everyone!

It's a long piece but there's a lot of story there, if you know what I mean.

PB