FL - Danielle - Feral Child in Florida

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palmerk

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I don't know if this is the right place to put this --her "mother" was prosecuted, yet this is a story that begs to be told. I searched, and didn't find anything on Danielle here, so I'm posting her story.

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece

She was found at age 7, unable to speak, feed herself, or walk. She was still in diapers. They're calling this "environmental autism," caused by her neglect.

The good news is that the story focuses on her adopted family and what they are doing for her. There is no doubt she is now loved...but there is doubt as to how far she can develop.
 
I've read this story! Amazing! Just read it the other day...and I wish they had a website...couldn't find anything.
 
Makes me a bit concerned that the adoptive family's name and city of residence is known to the bio mother. I hope she stays her distance and lets this child grow with love and good health. God bless the child and her family. Maybe that home improvement show, what is it called??, will see this and step up to give them a home so William has his own bedroom.
 
Oh my gosh-what a heartbreaking story. I have a little girl the same age....
 
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"No one has any way of telling what lies behind Dani’s big brown eyes and vacant stare".

I couldn't disagree more...Those eyes speak volumes. This is just an amazing story.
 
capoly - at the end of the article they note that the family has since moved out of state (out of Florida), so Dani's bio mom probably doesn't have a way to find them.
 
The aim, he said, is to keep the child with the parent, and try to help the parent get whatever services he or she might need. But Michelle refused help. And investigators might have felt they didn’t have enough evidence to take Danielle, Cox said.
Click to expand...

This proves that keeping the child with the parent is not ALWAYS the best thing. We should do what is best for the child instead of what is best for the parent or social worker.
 
If anyone deserves a happy ending it's little Dani. I'm thrilled to see her she got the loving home she deserved.
 
Does anyone know what happened to Dani's brothers? I know one was a mentally handi-capped teenager but I wonder if the others were old enough to live on their own or did they go to foster homes too.
 
Palmerk, such a wonderful story, and excellent to bring to light that this happens more often than people think. Thank God she found an adoptive family who loves her. Florida is notorious for their handling of these type of child abuse cases; the mother's rights should have been taken away, and she should have done hard time. Many of these cases do fly under the radar. There is a lot of hope for Dani, in comparison with other cases, she will continue to make more progress. This is the definition of "feral child", as opposed to gangs of kids creating havoc. Many of these cases, the children are kept in isolation. Hopefully the article sheds some light on the subject, so more people are aware & if they see can report it, and save another child's life.
 
palmerk said:
capoly - at the end of the article they note that the family has since moved out of state (out of Florida), so Dani's bio mom probably doesn't have a way to find them.
Click to expand...

Lesson 1 to good sleuthing- read entire story! Thank you, I am glad to know the family has moved.
 
Palmerk, thank you so much for sharing this story. My heart literally broke reading about Dani...how lonely and scary for a small child never to have any love or supervision...how a "mother" could be so cruel and heartless...

I am disappointed that her mother did not serve time for this. Dani was born normal and could've grown up to do many things but that was taken away from her by years of neglect. In my opinion, what her mother did to her is just as bad as murder...she killed Dani's spirit.

I am so glad there are people in this world like her foster parents.
 
Wow, what an amazing story. And what awesome people to take her in and make her part of their family.
 
WOW!!! What a story! And what her parents have done for Dani is truly remarkable! I'm speechless...
 
This story just haunts me...and this bio "mother" (I use that term loosely) is free to continue her life....what about the two older brothers she also neglected/abused?
 
TaylorJ4 said:
This story just haunts me...and this bio "mother" (I use that term loosely) is free to continue her life....what about the two older brothers she also neglected/abused?
Click to expand...
It haunts me also. Was the area in which the bio family resided rural? I can't imagine it happening in a city, with neighbors close by and, no one picking up on it for years. Such a sad story!
 
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