If ever there was an unsung hero, it’s the social worker. These are the people who, on a daily basis, reach out to those whose lives have been fractured. And while many simply don’t realise just how important their job is in rescuing children from the scars of child abuse, one little person did. Her name is Marie Suprenant, and she is an 8-year-old victim of abuse.
Social workers save the lives of children like Marie every day.
In her biological mother’s home, Marie suffered severe physical abuse. She is now a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down.
Marie was an infant, barely 8 months old, when she was admitted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She suffered from more than 14 fractures, countless bruises and weighed only 18 pounds. To make matters worse, she also sustained a spinal cord injury, paralyzing her from the waist down. After the mother and her boyfriend were arrested, Marie was placed in Michele Suprenant’s care. The social worker who would soon fall in love with the little girl and adopt her as her own.
The entirety of the three-page note was posted on the blog. Poignant, heartbreaking, sweet and sincere, Marie explains that “I think if you never helped me my life would be awful and lonely.” She goes on to say thank you for her “warm and safe environment.” She also thanks them for “solving” her case, and not letting the “bad guys” hurt her anymore. Marie added that “the only thing that drives me crazy is our pet dog named Jo. She snores like a vacuum and sounds like an old man.”
Here’s the full text of Marie’s letter:
Dear social workers and detectives,
I want to thank you for making me happy by giving me a new warm and safe environment. Now I have a home that is nice and I have three nice meals a day. This is Marie Rose Surprenant. When I was a baby I got hurt and you were on my case. When I was little I got hurt and I wasn’t going to walk at all. I couldn’t walk because my spinal cord was broken and couldn’t be fixed. So they asked how I got hurt in the E.R. But he lied, and said that I fell out the bed. So then that’s when you got involved and solved my case and didn’t let the bad guy hurt me or anyone else.
I think that if you never helped me, my life would still be awful and lonely. Because they might not help me, not feed me or they would hit me when I cried. But now I’m much better. I now have a safe, happy environment. I’m also around smart people.
Now my life is much better. But the only thing that drives me crazy is our pet dog named Jo. She snores as loud as a vacuum and sounds like an old man. I also have two cats. Their names are Gypsy and Mr. Fluffy. Gypsy is grey all over and has green eyes. She likes to play with yarn mice, she likes cat scratchers, she is very curious and likes to watch what we are doing all the time. And Mr. Fluffy is a black and white cat with green eyes too. He likes to sleep on his beach chair all day from 10am to 5pm. But he’s active at night. I love pets but I love lizards. My favourite lizard is a bearded dragon. My class has a class pet that is a bearded dragon. His name is Mr. Cuddles.
I wish that you keep doing what you do to make the world a better place and to make kids feel protected. I also wish that no matter how big or small the case is you will at least try and help the kids.
Love, Marie.
Marie is now 9 years old and living a happy life with her mom in Atlanta.
The family has an online funding campaign to help with Maries’ care.
Suprenant said in the blog that not only is Marie a straight-A student, but despite her disability, “she’s learning to swim, plays with her friends and does what most kids do: art camps, drama clubs, trips to Disney World and even body surfing.”