Identified! TN - Carryville, LIVING female, 15-21, mentally disabled, Jun'12 - Lynn Cameron

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KLCD620 said:
Because her Mom cannot handle it & gave up on her by placed Lynn at the bar. I think she expected men from the bar is more likely to harm her and take advantage of her and end up killing her. Fortunately, it didn't happen that way. She's probably regret the action.
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You know I hate to say it but I suspect that's true! :maddening:
 
All the way from Algonquin, IL to TN? WTH.

Glad to see mom will be facing charges. One thing I wanted to add, which may have led to moms decision to do this. With the state of Illinois being broke, they have cut or eliminated many services. Medicaid services for some have been eliminated. Tons of services, gone, this includes services for the disabled. I don't know if mom in this case lost services for which she relied on to care for Lynn, but it's a possibility. Doesn't excuse it, but could explain a possible reason behind it.
 
Some after the fact decisions will play a role into the mothers mindset at the time - eg will the mother need a public defender or will she hire her own lawyer? Was this child dropped off in an SUV or was that not true? Did something happen in the mothers current relationship with another?

Time will tell.
 
The distance driven to turn her loose tell me she wanted to wash her hands of this situation.

Cubby's theory is plausible. It's also a possibility the father had died/disappeared, tremendously increasing the difficulty of taking care of a mentally deficient adult now you're by yourself.
 
Nikon said:
The distance driven to turn her loose tell me she wanted to wash her hands of this situation.

Cubby's theory is plausible. It's also a possibility the father had died/disappeared, tremendously increasing the difficulty of taking care of a mentally deficient adult now you're by yourself.
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And not to mention how much funding for supportive services has been cut by the states for the disabled. These cases may become more common, especially because in most cases a parent can not get paid (or paid much) for the 24 hour care and simply can't pay the rent, buy food, etc without working fulltime somewhere. It is sad for both of them. Sad that the mother was in a situation were she couldn't provide care anymore. The system is flawed...it is a sad case.
 
A little off topic, but I learnt that with these new changes in IL, if one is elderly and in a nursing home and being cared for they get 15.00 a month of their retirement. The state takes the rest. If the elderly are living in an assisted living facility they get 90 a month, the state takes the rest.

The state is really cut back to where those who are destitute are really going to be in a bad bad place.

Whether both or one of her parents are around, the cost of the care is probably so enormous with state programs cut, they can't afford it even as a two parent household.

Sad, but this is what is currently happening in Illinois.
 
I have read lot of news stories able disabled women and girls giving birth.

I am glad she was id'ed.
 
Police stated repeatedly that she was not injured in any way. The picture accompanying articles in MSM show her as appearing healthy and well groomed. Although her teeth are large, they do not show evidence of decay. Police did not report any evidence of physical neglect or abuse.Someone obviously took great pains to meet this child's physical needs.

Why would that person then turn around and abandon their child to an unknown fate ? And in a bar ? At night ?
 
Cubby said:
A little off topic, but I learnt that with these new changes in IL, if one is elderly and in a nursing home and being cared for they get 15.00 a month of their retirement. The state takes the rest. If the elderly are living in an assisted living facility they get 90 a month, the state takes the rest.

The state is really cut back to where those who are destitute are really going to be in a bad bad place.

Whether both or one of her parents are around, the cost of the care is probably so enormous with state programs cut, they can't afford it even as a two parent household.

Sad, but this is what is currently happening in Illinois.
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That happens everywhere. Most people use Medicare and Medicaid, Medi-CAL (varies by state) to fund their nursing home stay. The state uses funds to pay for room and board from programs for the Aged and Disabled. They are allowed a small amount of money for incidentals from SSI or SSD for things like clothes, etc. Usually it is between $10-85 a month. The main reason for this is that the facilities are supposed to be all inclusive. So it covers medications, nursing, food, toiletries, attends, etc. Obviously, many places cut corners to save money. Depending on the level of care or acute illness, a patient/resident may switch back and forth from Medicare to Medicaid paying for the stay. When a person has retirement funds, typically those who do were teachers, police officers, fireman, etc with the demographics right now; the monthly payment goes to offset the entire monthly cost of the nursing home. In most cases a secondary payment provider, such as Medicaid covers the rest. But...that is with the elderly.

In a case like this, it is a violation of human rights (people were deinstitutionalized in the 1970s) to place a Developmentally Disabled (DD) person into a nursing home or to "warehouse" them, unless their medical acuity or medical care needs are far greater than their disability. So Lynn is NOT a match for a nursing home. I don’t think she was a violent, combative or sexually aggressive DD or head injury, so finding an ICF/MR or residential home for her would put her at the bottom of the huge, huge waiting lists. Placement is not really an option. The way the states view situations when they look at supportive services, such as day treatment, etc is the factor in caregiver support. Anyone who is of relation, mothers, fathers, sisters, etc, is considered in the amount of help they get. So what happens is, because of “family obligation” any or many of the services people qualify are cancelled out because the state thinks the family should do it. This is ok to an extent. However, many people, such as Lynn who used to get day treatment have had those services cut. So, they can’t get their therapy, the caregiver can’t hold a full time job, because the patient needs constant supervision and assistance to do the basic things, like dressing, grooming, eating, etc. Not to mention the whole safety aspects. So, then you have a parent who has to quit their job to stay home and try to live off of the persons meager SSDI. This leads to caregiver fatigue and burnout really fast. The thing is nothing in life is routine with a DD child or young adult. Even a trip to the dentist for a routnine cleaning requires total sedation. So, a parent can’t just run out on lunch break to take a child for a cleaning. They have to take days off of work. Then you look at how the person deals with pain from dental cleanings, surgeries, etc. You can’t rationalize with them, they do not understand, they act out on their pain. And the larger the DD person grows, the harder it is, because often they are just as strong as you are.

So, in order to save money, the state places families in a lose-lose situation. Yes, we can be idealists and say oh…it is their obligation, they shouldn’t be reimbursed or helped financially…but the reality is, how many of us could stay afloat financially and emotionally being destitute, with no help and no respite care for someone who has the mentality of a 2-3 year old, has the hormonal fluctuations of a teenager and is impulsive, has no sense of personal safety, boundaries and cannot complete the basic tasks for themselves year in and year out with no break. Forget taking a bath or using the toilet with the door clesed. Not only would this burn you out after many years, but from the financial standpoint, how many of us cannot survive on $1600 a month for a family of 2 or 3. Maybe, but, not when you include gas money to many appointments, special dietary needs, attends/diapers, etc, special locks for doors, learning materials, etc, etc. There is no free time to cut coupons, browse a store for deals, prepare low cost foods, because you have to constantly engage in 1 on 1 with the person for their safety. Personally, given Lynn was well cared for, didn’t appear abused, etc…I think the mom just snapped and couldn’t handle it anymore. But, she should get credit for the years she put in, the dwindling support services, etc. And maybe, the states can use this as a very good reason to stop budget cuts and restore services. I feel bad for both of them. I hope this case helps advocates for the disabled get a foothold is wrestling back services for people like Lynn and helps people like the mother get much needed respite to revitalize her own self. The best analogy I can think of is when a flight attendant on a plane is giving emergency instructions. They always say, if you are traveling with a child, someone who needs assistance (or someone acting like a child…lol) place your oxygen mask on first, and then assist the other person. Why? Because, if you pass out from lack of oxygen trying to save someone else, you both die. First rule make sure you are safe, then help others. Well…caring for a family member with DD or a brain injury essentially means, you don’t get to put the mask on yourself first. Period. Care giver fatigue, burn out, etc…resulting in the mom snapping. My two cents.
 
This article implies that the mother was intending to place her daughter in some sort of residential facility in the Caryville area. Authorities are working directly with the DA to determine whether or not charges should be filed. I think they should, but with a suspended sentence perhaps.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120710/news/707109913/

Lucy Oso, many thanks to you for your post. Your words are an honest and accurate account of what parents like myself and Ava Cameron live on a daily basis.

I empathise completely with the challenges faced by Lynn's mother. It is obvious that Lynn has been well cared for. I wonder if her mother abandoned her with such carelessness as a deliberate attempt to insure that authorities would not consider returning her to her mother's care ? She could have left her at a hospital, a fire station even, or a church. But a bar ?
 
LucyOso said:
That happens everywhere. Most people use Medicare and Medicaid, Medi-CAL (varies by state) to fund their nursing home stay. The state uses funds to pay for room and board from programs for the Aged and Disabled. They are allowed a small amount of money for incidentals from SSI or SSD for things like clothes, etc. Usually it is between $10-85 a month. The main reason for this is that the facilities are supposed to be all inclusive. So it covers medications, nursing, food, toiletries, attends, etc. Obviously, many places cut corners to save money. Depending on the level of care or acute illness, a patient/resident may switch back and forth from Medicare to Medicaid paying for the stay. When a person has retirement funds, typically those who do were teachers, police officers, fireman, etc with the demographics right now; the monthly payment goes to offset the entire monthly cost of the nursing home. In most cases a secondary payment provider, such as Medicaid covers the rest. But...that is with the elderly.

In a case like this, it is a violation of human rights (people were deinstitutionalized in the 1970s) to place a Developmentally Disabled (DD) person into a nursing home or to "warehouse" them, unless their medical acuity or medical care needs are far greater than their disability. So Lynn is NOT a match for a nursing home. I don’t think she was a violent, combative or sexually aggressive DD or head injury, so finding an ICF/MR or residential home for her would put her at the bottom of the huge, huge waiting lists. Placement is not really an option. The way the states view situations when they look at supportive services, such as day treatment, etc is the factor in caregiver support. Anyone who is of relation, mothers, fathers, sisters, etc, is considered in the amount of help they get. So what happens is, because of “family obligation” any or many of the services people qualify are cancelled out because the state thinks the family should do it. This is ok to an extent. However, many people, such as Lynn who used to get day treatment have had those services cut. So, they can’t get their therapy, the caregiver can’t hold a full time job, because the patient needs constant supervision and assistance to do the basic things, like dressing, grooming, eating, etc. Not to mention the whole safety aspects. So, then you have a parent who has to quit their job to stay home and try to live off of the persons meager SSDI. This leads to caregiver fatigue and burnout really fast. The thing is nothing in life is routine with a DD child or young adult. Even a trip to the dentist for a routnine cleaning requires total sedation. So, a parent can’t just run out on lunch break to take a child for a cleaning. They have to take days off of work. Then you look at how the person deals with pain from dental cleanings, surgeries, etc. You can’t rationalize with them, they do not understand, they act out on their pain. And the larger the DD person grows, the harder it is, because often they are just as strong as you are.

So, in order to save money, the state places families in a lose-lose situation. Yes, we can be idealists and say oh…it is their obligation, they shouldn’t be reimbursed or helped financially…but the reality is, how many of us could stay afloat financially and emotionally being destitute, with no help and no respite care for someone who has the mentality of a 2-3 year old, has the hormonal fluctuations of a teenager and is impulsive, has no sense of personal safety, boundaries and cannot complete the basic tasks for themselves year in and year out with no break. Forget taking a bath or using the toilet with the door clesed. Not only would this burn you out after many years, but from the financial standpoint, how many of us cannot survive on $1600 a month for a family of 2 or 3. Maybe, but, not when you include gas money to many appointments, special dietary needs, attends/diapers, etc, special locks for doors, learning materials, etc, etc. There is no free time to cut coupons, browse a store for deals, prepare low cost foods, because you have to constantly engage in 1 on 1 with the person for their safety. Personally, given Lynn was well cared for, didn’t appear abused, etc…I think the mom just snapped and couldn’t handle it anymore. But, she should get credit for the years she put in, the dwindling support services, etc. And maybe, the states can use this as a very good reason to stop budget cuts and restore services. I feel bad for both of them. I hope this case helps advocates for the disabled get a foothold is wrestling back services for people like Lynn and helps people like the mother get much needed respite to revitalize her own self. The best analogy I can think of is when a flight attendant on a plane is giving emergency instructions. They always say, if you are traveling with a child, someone who needs assistance (or someone acting like a child…lol) place your oxygen mask on first, and then assist the other person. Why? Because, if you pass out from lack of oxygen trying to save someone else, you both die. First rule make sure you are safe, then help others. Well…caring for a family member with DD or a brain injury essentially means, you don’t get to put the mask on yourself first. Period. Care giver fatigue, burn out, etc…resulting in the mom snapping. My two cents.
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Well said. All of it, and I couldn't agree more. Thank you. The thank you button just wasn't enough.
 
I am so glad that the strangers Lynn encountered were good and kind and helped her- now, I want THAT story told!
I am so glad she is safe. :)
 
craftybatchy said:
This article implies that the mother was intending to place her daughter in some sort of residential facility in the Caryville area. Authorities are working directly with the DA to determine whether or not charges should be filed. I think they should, but with a suspended sentence perhaps.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120710/news/707109913/

Lucy Oso, many thanks to you for your post. Your words are an honest and accurate account of what parents like myself and Ava Cameron live on a daily basis.

I empathise completely with the challenges faced by Lynn's mother. It is obvious that Lynn has been well cared for. I wonder if her mother abandoned her with such carelessness as a deliberate attempt to insure that authorities would not consider returning her to her mother's care ? She could have left her at a hospital, a fire station even, or a church. But a bar ?
Click to expand...

I think the mother really was very overwhelmed. If she dropped her off at a police station or fire station or church, I guarantee no one would let her just walk away. There is no safety net or protection in place for people who simply can’t cope anymore with a DD child or any child in this situation. There was a loophole in Nebraska, I am not sure if that was "closed", where parents could drop of DD children under the age of 19 at a hospital. It was a technical error in the writing of the safe haven bill and I do not know if that was been amended.

A bar is a strange place…but..it may have been the only place near or open. The mother may have just hit the road driving and where she ended up she ended up. Or The mother may have known the area and knew it was a safer place knowing the locals would help. At least she dropped her somewhere where she was helped and not in a ditch by a road. Or maybe, she was afraid we would injure Lynn and did what seemed a better option at the time. We are not sure. But, the desperation she felt really clouded her thinking and create a cascade of events that led to this. I do agree, maybe by this point of time a prison cell, where she could have time to herself and focus only on herself, was far better than the life she was living. Yes, I am sure, in desperation because she couldn’t get placement or even respite, she decided the only way to get help was dropping her off at a bar. I am not surprised, people commit petty crimes all the time to go to jail so they can get their medications, insulin or health care needs met. The mom obviously had no other means to get Lynn placed, so she acted in a way that would ensure Lynn would be placed. I can’t judge the mom, she did the best she could, with the resources she had at the time in the situation she was in.
 
PaulaH said:
This article was in the Knoxville news.

http://www.wate.com/story/18992682/...bandoned-in-caryville-placed-in-state-custody

The mother will not face charges.

This breaks my heart. The mother said she could not and would not care for Her daughter any longer.

How can someone do this and live with themselves.
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This kills me...she could have been raped, beaten, killed...
You don't drive 3-4 states away to just drop a vulnerable human at a bar without have ill intentions! She did not care one bit what happened! Where is the dad? Mom & dad are still married according to court records.


That "woman" is not a mother! When you have a special needs child it is hard.
I know first hand! At the young age of 23 my daughter was born with severe hydrocephalus (water on the brain), CP, epilepsy, blind, and severe brain damage. It was a fight because my husbands family wanted me to place her for adoption. NO WAY!! I am not a so called "bible beater" but I honestly believe I was given my daughter because God knew I would fight for her rights and be her voice until my last breath!


She is 8 now. Still nonverbal, can not feed herself, bathe herself, she continues to use diapers...but it will be a cold day in hell before I would give u on her! I am crying so hard I can barely see the screen so sorry if there are a ton of typos. Just sick over this...and NO charges?? Is it because the daughter is "disabled" so her value is less?? I have learned more about life from my daughter than anyone else in my life...they are pure souls!!


Of course this is all FWIW IMO!!!!
 
http://fox8.com/2012/07/10/mother-abandons-mentally-disabled-daughter-in-another-state/


Doing this day in, day out, when it is all that you are and what you do, it changes you. You become someone, something you never imagined. You end up places you never, ever could have foreseen as a result of circumstances so bizarre, they defy description. So while I can say I would never, ever abandon my own child, I understand very well why someone might walk away from theirs. That doesn't make it right, just that I understand the why of it.
 
This case has touched very close to my heart-I have a sister that was hit by a car when she was 3=my mom & dad took care of her until my dad passed.There came a time when my mom could not care for my sister not only b/c she was alone-but my mom was older then-my mom made the heartbreaking decsion to put her in a group home.A home which is wonderful with her.My sister is now 49-but has a mind of an 7 or 8 yr old.
Lynn's mother made the statement-she could not & would not take care of her daughter ever again-Boy-What my mother would do to be able to take care of my sister again.My mother cries A LOT b/c she can't do it anymore & the guilt of having to put my sister in a home feeds on her daily..I will never tell my mother Lynn;s story as its so heartbreaking-but it would make her angry-so I will leave this just between us..
As for Lynn-I am happy she will be cared for.I am so glad nothing bad happened to her as we all know-these days are not safe anymore..May the good lord shine his light on her and keep her safe!
 
tlzzdavis said:
This kills me...she could have been raped, beaten, killed...
You don't drive 3-4 states away to just drop a vulnerable human at a bar without have ill intentions! She did not care one bit what happened! Where is the dad? Mom & dad are still married according to court records.


That "woman" is not a mother! When you have a special needs child it is hard.
I know first hand! At the young age of 23 my daughter was born with severe hydrocephalus (water on the brain), CP, epilepsy, blind, and severe brain damage. It was a fight because my husbands family wanted me to place her for adoption. NO WAY!! I am not a so called "bible beater" but I honestly believe I was given my daughter because God knew I would fight for her rights and be her voice until my last breath!


She is 8 now. Still nonverbal, can not feed herself, bathe herself, she continues to use diapers...but it will be a cold day in hell before I would give u on her! I am crying so hard I can barely see the screen so sorry if there are a ton of typos. Just sick over this...and NO charges?? Is it because the daughter is "disabled" so her value is less?? I have learned more about life from my daughter than anyone else in my life...they are pure souls!!


Of course this is all FWIW IMO!!!!
Click to expand...

I am angry to about the no charges to-she abandoned a child really & she should be charged as such.Lynn can not speak & has a mind of a small child.Why can't they see this as a total disregard of a human life...I would not have been this angry had she dropped her off at a police station or hospital..but a BAR!
 
I can't imagine a mother abandoning her handicapped child in such a cold way. My husband and I have a mentally handicapped daughter with an IQ of 38 and a social age of 5 to 8 years. We have cared for her at home for 44 years and will continue to do so until we are no longer able to. Our daughter can't read or write or take care of herself alone but she goes to work every day at a sheltered workshop and loves it and has friends there. She helps out at home and is a very happy person. We have a grandson with autism and his parents sought intensive intervention for him early in his life and worked with him tirelessly until he is now nearly normal. No way would we ever think of abandoning a handicapped child.
 
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