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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Touch (the sense of touch) (08/05/10)
The baby’s wails echoed throughout the house, awakening his sister. She unwound from her fetal position on the bare mattress she shared with her little sister, shivering as her feet touched the cold, bare hardwood floor. As usual, their mother was hung-over; at least her boyfriend had not spent the night, the absence of his heavy snores a sure indication. Kelsie found the empty baby bottle on the floor by Scotty’s makeshift crib, filled it from the milk carton still setting on the broken table from the previous day. The crying stopped as soon as she guided the nipple to her brother’s mouth and she left him to scavenge something to eat for her and MacKensie . . .



The three children slumped together on a cold, hard bench in the agency’s vestibule.

“I want mommy,” whined three-year-old Scotty.

“She’ll be here soon,” prompted Kelsie, a very grownup 7-yr. old.

Four-year-old thumb sucking Mackensie clutched the edge of the bench with one hand, rocking back and forth.

A young caseworker warily eyed the sibling group from her cubicle. How sad. Their parents’ parental rights had been terminated, and it appeared the kids had not been told. Sighing, Miss Childs shook her head, briefly scanning their thick file before contacting the department supervisor . . .



After months of training, the childless couple joined the world of foster parenting. A solid fourteen year marriage, stable income, and suitable home environment, along with willing hearts filled with a love for children, gave them exemplary prospective adoptive-parent status.

“Don, aren’t they adorable?” after a week-end spent with the Hansil ‘sibling group’.

“They’ve been in the system three years, so they probably have a lot of baggage.”

“They’re just love-starved, I think . . .”

Kelsie, MacKensie and Scotty began spending weekends with the loving couple. Desperately wanting a permanent home, the children were on their best behavior as they obeyed Kelsie’s weekly admonishments. The DuBois’ and the children became increasingly more comfortable with each other as the weekend visits evolved into week-long ones. After much discussion and many prayers, Devon and Julie DuBois decided to adopt these three little waifs who had stolen their hearts.

Following came a bevy of appointments with counselors, psychologists, case & social workers, doctors, agencies, and guidance officials, and true to Devon’s previous observation, all three children evidenced the typical behavioral and psychological symptoms of most foster kids.

Kelsie made consistent, positive strides in her new home, although she still questioned the judge’s decision to separate the siblings from their biological parents. Julie and Devon confirmed the judge’s concern for their safety and the subsequent ruling.

MacKensie alternated between a loving sweetie-pie and a histrionic drama queen and often (sometimes not so subtly) manipulated everyone into her agendas.

Scotty, although happy when receiving individualized attention, seemed to digress into increasingly disruptive, disobedient, and disturbing behaviors the rest of the time. His sisters and new foster parents had to bear the brunt of his explosive, volatile and violent outbursts, until it became evident that unless he could be rehabilitated soon, the rest of the family would be destroyed. Julie and Devon were devastated and made repeated attempts to find help for the child’s emotional problems.

“He definitely has RADS (Reactive Attachment Disorder),” the specialist informed the exhausted couple, “Scotty is a textbook example of what happens when a baby is neglected. Human contact is necessary for proper development. If a very young child is not touched by his caregivers, is not physically tended as God planned, he can be maimed for life. Scotty learned, subconsciously, that if he cried long and hard enough, he would get the physical contact his body craved. Older, the crying turned into bad behavior so that he would receive the attention his body and emotional stability needed to survive. Now, though his basic NEEDS are met, he only feels comfortable in his same behavior pattern, to get what he WANTS. Complicating this, because of the early broken attachment with his biological parents, he does not bond with anyone and seems to be better with havoc and chaos than permanence and stability. Intense therapy will be required which will be impossible for you with two other needy children. Remember, he just doesn’t care like you and I do and would not miss you or his sisters if severed from the relationships like you or I would. My recommendation is that he be placed in a single child home.”


Neglect--the worst child abuse.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Melanie Kerr 
08/12/10
A very sad account.

I suppose that we all expect God's love to break through all barriers and bring healing - which it does to many. I thought the last paragraph was too clinical in its description, but you had done the research. Did they follow the advice given I wonder?
Anita van der Elst
08/12/10
Heartbreaking situation.

Your writing ability gave us well-defined characters.

I agree that the information from the specialist seemed a bit unnatural conversationally. Perhaps letting the reader see the specialist reviewing a written evaluation before meeting with the foster parents, or something like that, would've worked a little better.

But very good job overall.
Charla Diehl
08/12/10
This informative piece ended too abruptly for me. I wanted to know if the couple followed the doctor's recommendation, instead I was left hanging.
Nurturing is so very, very important for proper development--thanks for sharing your knowledge of RADS.