|
Central Point teen has found her voice after years of abuse EDITOR'S NOTE: "Light One Candle" is an annual Mail Tribune feature that focuses on a single need of a person, family or agency during the holidays. For more information, call reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465. Given the life she's led, it's remarkable that this 17-year-old Central Point girl still has the will to sing. Her parents divorced when she was 3; a year later her father kidnapped her from her mother, according to Lorita Cushman, a counselor for a group foster home run by the Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center. When the girl was 5, her father married a woman who physically and emotionally abused her. At age 10, the girl was raped. When she was 11, her father began sexually abusing her. A year later, he sold her to a man who confined her at home and sexually abused her. She was sent back to her father, who continued to sexually and physically abuse her before kicking her out of the house at age 13. That's when she came to the attention of child protection authorities, who returned the girl to her mother. That situation didn't last; the girl was placed in foster care. By then, Cushman says, the girl was bulimic, anorexic and suicidal. Recently, the girl was placed in the group home run by SOCSTC. Finally, she has found stability and supervision to keep her safe and resources to help her heal. "She's a delightful young woman with many strengths," Cushman says. Attractive, well-groomed and articulate, the girl often acts as a peacemaker for the conflicts of others. Despite the chaos in her life, the girl has sustained a lovely singing voice and dreams of developing her talent. This holiday season, a gift of a karaoke machine would allow her to practice singing and provide entertainment for the seven other girls at the group foster home. To arrange a donation, contact Cushman at 665-0355, extension 201. Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center is a private, nonprofit agency that provides mental health services to children, youth and their families. The agency strives to serve children in their home communities, with a strong emphasis on family involvement during treatment |
|
Mail
Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.
| Dow
Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy
| Contact
Us |
