I recently blogged about the series of articles appearing in the KC Star about mental health issues in children. The articles described the difficulties in finding appropriate school settings for emotionally disturbed children, the difficulties in diagnosing and treating the mental health issues of children, the uncertainty about medications and dosages, the ramifications of residential placement, and a host of other problems associated with mentally ill kids.


As the founder and Executive Director of the Attachment Disorder Network, I speak to families all over the country on a regular basis. And I can tell you that the issues described in the Kansas City Star are not unique to Kansas City. Julie’s blog this morning illustrates this reality all too well. After reading the original article, I am still processing it. Julie blogged about a teenage girl who died in a Georgia mental hospital due to gross negligence. This young lady died of physical causes in a facility that was not even appropriately addressing her mental health issues, much less taking good care of her once-healthy body. How can this be in the year 2007?


Julie did not ask to receive a child as difficult and damaged as LuLu. But Julie and her entire family have more than risen to the task of advocating for LuLu as well as children like her. I believe God has a plan for us, but we still have to decide if we will walk that path.


There is a snippet in the KC Star this morning that I think relates to this:

At an end-of-year presser, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco got a bit emotional about all the stress from Katrina. Her eyes welling with tears, she said in an aside: “You know, every day when I talk to the Lord, I ask him: Why, Lord, did you put me in this job at this time and in this place with these immense challenges? I have not gotten that answer.”

I think Julie is getting her answer… and she is listening… I’m right there with you, my friend. Go hit a home run.

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