For every Wednesday child's sake, don't turn away

Text Size: A | A | A

Print this Article Email this Article

November 22, 2009

By Sanne Specht

Mail Tribune

Wednesday's child is full of woe, so says the nursery rhyme.

Caleb Hearne was born on a Wednesday in the summer of 2004.

His birthplace? An Oregon prison. His mother, Trisha Torresan, was serving time for identity theft. His father, Joshua Hearne, also had been imprisoned, for a series of property crimes. Both of Caleb's parents abused drugs and alcohol. After Torresan's release, the couple were reunited, and although his parents fought a lot, Caleb soon had a little sister.

Not surprisingly, neither child thrived. Ultimately, only Lynna survived.

After months of neglect and abuse reported by family, friends and neighbors, Caleb was found facedown on his mother's bed one cold night in February 2007.

"There's something wrong with your son!" screamed Torresan's boyfriend at the time, Ryan Satterlee.

The 21/2-year-old was a victim of homicide, the coroner ruled.

Torresan and Satterlee were charged with crimes related to Caleb's death and Lynna's abuse.

Torresan pleaded guilty in March 2008 to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She also pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment related to Lynna, and was given an additional 18 months. Torresan, 27, will be released any day after serving about half that time.

Ryan Bruce Satterlee was found not guilty in September 2008 of criminal mistreatment in a bench trial before Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Crain. Satterlee, 29, recently was released from prison after serving part of a 50-month sentence Crane had imposed in March 2008 for a Shady Cove bank robbery.

Saturday's child works hard for a living. But I was fortunate to be born the indulged and beloved last baby to two older, secure and stable parents.

I am haunted by the memory of Caleb. Autopsy photos of the blond, cherubic-looking little boy filled the screen of the Jackson County Circuit Court room during Satterlee's trial. Caleb looked so small. So still. So broken.

A minimum of 14 bruises covered his pale skin. From his forehead to his little legs, the purple, red, green and yellow bruises were in various stages of healing. He had two black eyes and a cut on his nose. The tip of one of Caleb's ears was bruised on the outside and inside of the tender pink shell. The angry red marks continued into his scalp. That bruising pattern comes from a helluva smack. But the blows delivered to Caleb's abdomen that damaged his internal organs and ultimately destroyed his pancreas are the ones that killed him, the medical examiner said.

Photos of Lynna also were displayed. She, too, had two black eyes and a cut on her nose. There were more bruises to her neck and chest. At 18 months old, Lynna already had learned to be afraid — to fear the hands of those who are supposed to offer love and comfort.

Torresan's and Hearne's parental rights were severed. Lynna was adopted by a loving family and now lives out of the area.

Caleb was one of the five children who die each day from abuse and neglect in the United States. Lynna was on the list of children who are abused in Oregon every eight minutes. There are 950 abused and neglected children entering or remaining in the child welfare system in Jackson County.

The soul of a child born on the Sabbath was seared in January while she served on a Jackson County grand jury. Dee Anne Everson, United Way of Jackson County director, recounted her reaction to hearing one little girl struggling to explain her horrific tale of sexual abuse.

"I felt my heart breaking. I wanted to scream," she said.

The pain she witnessed spurred Everson to create the Jackson County Child Abuse Network. The coalition of 33 agency representatives, as well as private individuals, are dedicated to changing the way society deals with child abuse.

"We must recognize this problem exists in a deep and real way. How many children are OK to abuse a year?" Everson asked the members.

To create a community consciousness where every child has to be protected, we need processes in place so we do the right thing at the right time to save a child's life, Everson said.

But the coalition cannot save our children alone. From Sunday's child to Saturday's child and every day in between, we must all play a role to protect the next Wednesday's child.

Volunteer to be a court-appointed special advocate for an abused child swept into the justice system. Take "Darkness to Light" training to help protect our children from sexual abuse. Help a stressed-out mom by babysitting for an afternoon.

Whatever you do, don't turn away from a child in need. For Caleb's sake. For every child's sake.

Please.

Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail sspecht@mailtribune.com.

Print this Article Email this Article