February 11, 2011
February 11 is … White Tee-Shirt Day and Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
BRUCE A. BRENNAN BLOG FROM THE WORLD AND MY MIND
The news as I see it and the views as I want them.
President Mubarak of Egypt is apparently a slow learner. I personally do not care who runs this desert country. They have a long history of being an aggressive, war mongering nation. I think that is how this will end. Mubarak will either leave or be dragged from power after violence erupts in the streets. Right now, the military is waiting to pick sides. They will end up running this ancient country but very little will change for the citizens. History teaches us that.
An Ohio couple is in jail facing charges they kept a 9-year-old girl locked in their bathroom for six years, letting her out only to go to school and for special occasions, the Dayton Daily News reports. Brian G. Hart, 50, and his wife Rivae L. Hart, 49, told Dayton police they started locking her up when she was 3 years old because she had behavioral problems. A psychologist who examined her at that age reportedly said her behavior was normal. Sgt. Larry Tolpin told the Dayton Daily News that the girl's development is normal for a fourth-grader, despite being kept in the bathroom, which was blocked by two dressers. Inside, she slept on a cot with a blanket but no pillow. Authorities say they believe the last time she was allowed out of the bathroom for a reason other than school was in 2007. "Meals were inconsistent at best, and basically the living conditions were deplorable," Tolpin said. The girl is the granddaughter of Rivae Hart, and the couple are her legal guardians. Her captivity came to light after she told a school nurse about her living conditions. The victim and three other children who lived in the apartment the girl's brother and the couple's biological children have been placed in foster care. The Harts were indicted Feb. 4 on kidnapping and felony child-endangering charges.
It is amazing the young girl developed normally, physically, after being kept away from society for so long. As an attorney, twenty years ago I represented a couple in Will County who had their children taken from them by the State for similar reasons. This couple had two children, a five year old boy and a nine year old girl. The parents led a seemingly normal life. The father was fully employed while the mother was a homemaker. The mother volunteered at the school the children attended which was within a block of their house. The two children had friends and fit into the school environment. They were both very small, even tiny, for their age.
School personnel did not raise any concerns about the children. Both kids received above average grades. They did not cause problems in class and were always in attendance. They were not always sick and never raised any issues themselves about their home life.
The father’s sister was concerned. She and the rest of the family visited each other often. The children were taken to a doctor on a regular basis. The only concern was the growth of the children. She contacted the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. They started an investigation. What was uncovered was that the father had minimal contact with the children, spending all his time at home in his work shop. The mother, although she cared for the children’s needs by cooking, cleaning, etc., she had very little other contact with the children, rarely speaking to them. She had a hobby of sewing dolls clothes and constantly was doing that.
Physical abuse was not involved. The investigation determined the nine year old girl was the replacement mother for the real mother. The nine year old had no replacement mother to turn to. The boy was closer to normal size than the girl but he was nearly25 lbs. under normal weight. The girl was almost 45 lbs. under normal weight.
Once DCFS got involved, they took the children from the home and placed them with the aunt that reported the situation. That is where I got involved. I was hired to get the children back for the parents. Numerous doctors, therapists and counselors were involved in the case once it got into Court. By law, when the State removes children from a home, the case takes precedent over all other cases being handled by the Court. This case could not be completed in a week, however. Both sides had to hire experts and coordinate examinations.
The case went to trial that was conducted over a five week period. The trial did not go every day but we often had multiple sessions in a week. In all, from my first involvement to my last contact with the family, I was dealing with this family for four months. During that four month period the children lived with the aunt. The parents had supervised visitation. I supervised a few of the visitations and the mom, dad and kids seemed to get along.
The Judge that heard this case was careful and thoughtful. He was really concerned for the kids. Three doctors agreed on a diagnosis of psychosocial dwarfism, also called psychosocial short stature. The perceived lack of love the children felt manifested itself by refusing to let the body grow. The children saw mom liked doll clothes and they did not want to get to big so as not to be a doll. This was not a reasoned response but an uncontrolled reaction caused by the brain. The best evidence to support the diagnosis was the children grew quickly while with the aunt. The boy gained over 20 lbs. while the young girl gained over 40 lbs., nearly getting to average weight by the time the Court action was completed.
I have never run into psychosocial dwarfism since then or before then. I have done some follow-up research on the subject after that case and it still exists. It is called other names other than psychosocial short stature but it is the same thing. It is not a very common diagnosis and many doctors would not recognize it if they ran across it. It was a very interesting case and I am glad it remains uncommon.
Events on this date in history;
1794 1st session of US Senate open to the public
1808 Anthracite coal 1st burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre PA
1809 Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
1810 Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria
1811 President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for 3rd time in 4 years
1812 Massachusetts Governor Gerry signs a redistricting bill-the 1st "gerrymander
1808 Anthracite coal 1st burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre PA
1809 Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
1810 Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria
1811 President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for 3rd time in 4 years
1812 Massachusetts Governor Gerry signs a redistricting bill-the 1st "gerrymander
1854 Major streets lit by coal gas for 1st time
1858 1st apparition of Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes France
1861 US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state
1861 President-elect Lincoln takes train from Springfield IL to Washington DC
1858 1st apparition of Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes France
1861 US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state
1861 President-elect Lincoln takes train from Springfield IL to Washington DC
1960 Jack Paar walks off his TV show
1961 Robert C Weaver sworn in as Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency then the highest federal post by a black
1961 Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem
1963 Beatles tape 10 tracks for their 1st album, including "Please, Please Me"
1963 CIA Domestic Operations Division created
1964 Beatles 1st live appearance in US; Washington DC Coliseum
1961 Robert C Weaver sworn in as Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency then the highest federal post by a black
1961 Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem
1963 Beatles tape 10 tracks for their 1st album, including "Please, Please Me"
1963 CIA Domestic Operations Division created
1964 Beatles 1st live appearance in US; Washington DC Coliseum
1990 James "Buster" Douglas KOs Mike Tyson to win heavyweight boxing crown
BRUCE A. BRENNAN
DEKALB, IL 60115
COPYRIGHT 2011
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Email: brucebrennanlaw@aol.com
Go to web sites below to buy books by Bruce A. Brennan. It is still a good time to purchase an interesting and inexpensive read. My second book should be available by February 15, 2011. More information will be forthcoming.
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