Cathy Glass-The Saddest Girl in the World

CONDITION-FAIRlY GOOD

Donna had been in foster care with her two young brothers for three weeks when she was suddenly moved to me with only a few hours notice. When she first arrived she wouldn’t speak – not even to Adrian (10) or Paula (6), and walked with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down; without doubt she was the saddest child I had ever seen. After a while, with lots of patience and encouragement she began to talk about what had happened to her before she came into care. Although the social services were aware that Donna and her brothers had been badly neglected by their alcoholic mother, no one was aware of the true extent of the abuse in the house. As the truth gradually came out Donna’s behaviour deteriorated and it got to the point where I daren’t leave her alone with Adrian or Paula. I continually searched for ways to help but I had to accept that some of her psychological wounds ran so deep that the scars would stay with her forever.