Overcoming Neglect
Hailey was a young child who came to The Salvation Army’s Sally’s House from the worst possible living conditions. Her parents ran a meth lab out of their home.
In a statement to law enforcement and CPS at the time of their arrest, the parents proudly declared that they kept their daughter safe. While cooking the meth, selling it and having meth parties in their home, they would put Hailey in the kennel with their dog. The social worker said Hailey essentially lived in the kennel with the dog.
Hailey was five-years-old and barely spoke. She was terrified of toilets. Social workers said she was a “feral child,” resembling a wild animal. She walked on all fours instead of upright. Hailey was covered in fleas and lice.
When she first came to Sally’s House - the only emergency foster care house in Spokane County for children, ages 2-12 - Hailey barked and growled instead of speaking. Hailey was extremely underweight, and it was a struggle to get her to eat anything as she was used to eating mostly dog food.
With a lot of hard work, the staff was able to get rid of the lice and fleas. Staff also read to, held and talked to Hailey. They also potty-trained her, helped her to walk upright and taught her how to speak words. Hailey was at Sally’s House for more than 120 days while her social worker tried to find a placement for her.
During this time, Hailey grew and blossomed. “Pretty” became her favorite word. Purple became her favorite color. Hailey thrived at Sally’s House. She began to smile and laugh. She began to gain weight and enjoy eating. Hailey learned her ABC’s. To see Hailey in the last week of her stay at Sally’s House was to see a completely different child from the one who arrived. To see Hailey’s transformation, was to see hope in action!
The Salvation Army of Spokane THANKS it’s caring supporters for assisting in this life-changing story. Because of individuals like you, The Salvation Army literally helped Hailey live like a human being.
Please consider giving a tax-deductible financial gift to Sally’s House to help our local children live a happy and normal life.