I feel the same way, cathieq.
For Bruce to grow 15 inches and 100 pounds between the ages of 19 and 21 is astonishing. It's just astonishing. He's still small, and his voice still hasn't changed, prayers it will and he'll eventually have the normal appearance and sound of a grown man. It doesn't seem all that likely.
Then when you read down a couple articles, the man who starved him to death died of a stroke after his arrest - and family friends accused Bruce of lying. Denial is a river that runs deep!!
I remember when this story first broke. You could look at that foster family and think there are many healthy people here, and four boys who are dying of AIDS, or leukemia, or something. The difference in the healthy ones and the dying ones is profound, yet all are smiling. God.
Little could strangers guess they were being purposely starved.
edited to add: they're all smiling, except Bruce. He looks almost dead. I wonder, if the photographer had said "goodness you have a large family! Are all these yours? And the parents pointed out the adopted children - how obvious it would be, they're the ones who are dying. Everyone else, except the four adopted boys, are glowing with health and fat.
I begged her to come with him, but she refused. Life in the "hood" was more exciting I suppose. She was just very young and immature and a foster child her entire life. Sadly she has had a child every year since, all are in fostercare.
