With five boys, Bernie and Diane were no strangers to child-rearing. But once four of their sons were out of the house, they wanted to add a girl to the family. But this time, through adoption. The couple found many children who were up for adoption, but one little girl stood out to them most. Surprisingly, it was one pictured in a grainy, black and white photo. Something told Diane that she was meant to be hers.
The girl in the photo was named Danielle and her past was horrifying, containing an unbelievable story of neglect and abuse. She was found in a Florida home at the age of seven, and was without question classified as a feral child.
“A feral child is a human child who has lived away from human contact from a very young age, and has little or no experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language,” according to Wikipedia.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 27 years now, and this is by far, bar none, the worst case of child neglect I’ve ever come across in my career,”says Detective Mark Holste.
Bernie and Diane looked beyond Danielle’s horrifying past to see a little girl who needed a family and love in her life… and they were supposed to be that family. “There are so many rewarding things about watching a child who has been broken and discouraged – watching them flourish and grow,” said Diane.
The rest of their story is heart-wrenching, touching and most of all inspiring. Share this amazing example of unconditional love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xua7i4nzpc
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