The Need for Love

Danielle’s story is one that touches the hearts of many. She was alone, and not alone in the sense that many of us have felt alone before. Danielle was locked in a closet with no human interaction for numerous years. Her verbal skills, personality traits and demeanor all reflect the years she spent suffering. Many wonder how any mother could abandon a child, but what Danielle faced was far worse than abandonment. Her mother and two brothers lived under the same roof, yet never acknowledged her existence. It is unimaginable what Danielle lived through. When the police and social workers found her she was sitting in her own feces, crawling with bugs and unable to communicate; a child of six with the mental and physical capacity of an infant.
No one will ever know for sure what Danielle had to go through in that closet for so many years, but now that she is out her life has taken a turn for the better. Danielle was adopted by a new family, the Lierows, and she is the daughter they have always wanted.
The thing that made this story so different from many other child abuse stories was the absolute abandonment and disregard for a child’s well-being. Most child abuse cases involve neglect and abuse, but the neglect and abuse Danielle faced were inhumane. To most people, it is very difficult to even understand how something like this could happen. To care for a child comes naturally to mothers, and it is unfathomable that a mother could have such little consideration for her own daughter. This story is an emotional one because of the undeserved suffering Danielle had to face. She never asked to be treated like this, nor did she do anything to justify it. The novelty of the story is what catches reader’s attention, and the heart-wrenching plot is what keeps them interested.
The way that the author, Lane DeGregory, tells Danielle’s story is just amazing. The description she uses enables the reader to actually picture what she is talking about. “The floor, walls, even the ceiling seemed to sway beneath legions of scuttling roaches,” said DeGregory while giving the readers an image of a dirty, run-down, bug-infested house. She has a way of putting the reader into the story. She shows the reader, rather than informs them. This is a talent she is lucky to have.
DeGregory’s use of past and present tense is also something that strikes the reader. The story is in past tense, telling about Danielle’s times of trouble and her struggle to adapt to society. It isn’t until she is adopted by her new family that DeGregory uses present tense. DeGregory describes the adoption as a rebirth, and uses the new tense to help signify that. It is a great use of past and present to convey a new beginning.
The way that DeGregory organized her story is intriguing. The beginning is about Danielle’s life spent in the closet. Then she transitions into talking about Danielle adjusting to her new life with the Lierows. At the end of her story she resorts back to talking about Danielle’s mother and what she had to say about the entire situation. It is the circle method of writing and it helps tie a story together. It was done exceptionally well in this story. The mother’s viewpoint is something that most readers are curious about and with it, there is a bit of understanding as to why Danielle is the way she is. Danielle’s mother asking the reporter if she was okay was a great way to tie in the current condition of Danielle. The entire story flowed extremely well and was fabulously written.
One thing to take notice of is the immense research DeGregory did for this story. She interviewed everyone involved in the case. There are quotes and statements from the police officers who found Danielle, the case workers who looked after her, the doctors and nurses who took care of her, her current family and her biological mother and brother. It seems as if she wanted to cover all of her bases, and with all of the information she received she put together one great story. The story wouldn’t start off with such emotion if it weren’t for the police officer’s quotes. “She didn't react to heat or cold — or pain. The insertion of an IV needle elicited no reaction,” writes DeGregory. Without this added information, obviously recalled by a nurse, readers would have to guess as to how desensitized Danielle was. It is little tidbits like this that help the reader picture just how horrifying this girl’s life had been.
The multimedia tools used with this story add so much more emotion. The use of black and white still photography rather than a streaming video was a beautiful idea. The video never would have portrayed all the things the black and white photos did. There were different situations the viewers could see Danielle in, rather than just sitting in front of a camera. Hearing her brother, who is only a year older than her, speak about her really did give the viewer a sense that Danielle was finally in a family that loved and cared for her. Her brother loves her as if she were his own flesh and blood. A recommendation would be to possibly include a visual of the biological mother, or even a video interview with her. Readers have a mental picture of what kind of trash this woman must be, but truly seeing it would help emphasize the reality of it all.
This was a wonderful piece of writing and should be nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. It speaks of love, compassion, hardships and neglect in ways that no human being can even imagine.