Amazing...

Crav · Post by **Crav** » October 2, 2003, 1:59 am

Really that's the only thing I can say about this story. This baby's mom should be charge with attempted murder because really this goes way beyond child abuse. That baby is amazing, thank god for human survival instincts.

Toddler survives three weeks alone on ketchup, dry pasta

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) --A 2-year-old left alone for nearly three weeks while her mother was behind bars survived by eating mustard, ketchup, rice and raw pasta, police said.

The toddler was watching cartoons when found by her father, police said Monday. She was suffering from malnutrition and was being treated at Wolfson Children's Hospital, police said.

Dakeysha Lee, 22, was charged Monday with child abuse because she didn't let anyone know that her daughter was alone in her apartment, police said. She was jailed Sept. 10 on unrelated charges.

Ogden Lee, who is separated from the girl's mother, said he talked to her by telephone at the jail Sunday and she said their daughter was with neighbors.

When he got into the apartment, the youngster had dragged food and toys into her mother's bedroom and was lying in a baby's bathtub. She was covered with dried ketchup, Lee said.

"She grabbed me and wouldn't let go of me," Lee said. "It is really a miracle how good a shape my daughter is in. I don't know how she did it."

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » October 2, 2003, 2:09 am

Dang, that is as bad as the summer-in-Los Angeles trend of idiots leaving their kids locked in a car in 100+ degree heat...

Why are only dogs and cats spayed/neutered?

On the flip side...it is amazing that survival instincts kick in at a relatively early age in humans.

...and thinking more on it... how the hell could a child go unnoticed to friends and family for 3 fucking weeks? Did anyone wonder where she was?? She is with neighbors? What fucking neighbors? No questions? No calls of inquiry?

Someone needs to add chlorine to the gene pool...feh

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » October 2, 2003, 2:12 am

tough kid.

probably couldnt even reach the doorknob to get out.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » October 2, 2003, 2:32 am

2 years old... probably a few months into being able to walk? To be that small and weak, yet be able to reach whatever food a child that small could reach? Damn, that is amazing...

Nilaman · Post by **Nilaman** » October 2, 2003, 4:28 am

Poor kid. Hope her mom gets a nice cell mate in prison.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » October 2, 2003, 7:47 am

godamn, thats one tough-ass kid
for a 2 year old, he/she's up there witht he dude that sawed half his arm off

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » October 2, 2003, 8:44 am

Reminds me of 2 seperate stories:

The first one was almost identical, except the mither had died and the child lived in the apartment for weeks, taking care of herself and I believe her infant brother.

The next was on Discovery Channel about feral children. A 2 year old boy was raised by wild dogs in some Russian city I think. He lived with them for 2-3 years or something crazy like that. He would freak out and click into "dog mode" once in awhile. The entire program about feral children was extremely engrossing. Had some sad stuff on there that made a person cry for the human race. Most of the children profiled were nothing more than neglet or abandonment cases.

Do a google if bored at work and you'll read some crazy stuff about those feral kids.

Jaxomer · Post by **Jaxomer** » October 2, 2003, 11:04 am

2 years old... probably a few months into being able to walk? To be that small and weak, yet be able to reach whatever food a child that small could reach?

I have a two year old girl who is quite resourcefull. She has been walking since 10 months and not only can she reach and turn doorknobs, she knows enough to pull a chair into the kitchen and climb up to get into the cabinets. She may not be able to dial a correct telephone number, but if someone calls she can give them an earfull (great for when telemarketers call). Speaking of phone calls, one month I received the phone bill with 8 directory assistance listings on it, all of them about 1 minute apart. I asked my wife wtf? Then I caught my little girl chatting away with the operator, it was pretty funny.

I guess my point is that I'm not terribly surprised that this girl has sustained herself, I think there was a lot of luck involved that she was able to find food (hell, that her mom even stocked food in the first place), and that she could kinda keep herself entertained too.