Brought To Light

I am completely furious. Want to hear why?

I'll tell you why.

Today we spent five and a half hours at the hospital getting Niko examined. Which was a pleasure, as I'm sure you can imagine. They looked for bruises, they checked his body. Since he has a high pain tolerance and can't speak, they did a full skeletal x-ray to see if there are any old broken bones that we didn't know about. Fingers, ribs. It made me want to vomit between my feet. Luckily, there weren't any. And his Happy-Birthday-Broken-Leg is almost entirely healed, so there's some good news.

I had to tell the story over and over. How she had told me last year to keep an eye on my son, and I didn't know what to do, how we looked but saw nothing, how we couldn't switch classes since it was so hard to get him into school in the first place. I am so ashamed about that, the fact that I was given a veiled warning and I didn't act immediately on it. I did my best, but my best wasn't good enough. Apparently. Maybe. I still don't know what happened, and I had to tell them that, too.

They called CPS to see what the status of the case was. And CPS had no record. Why? Because the teachers still haven't reported it. They're busy, they said. The hospital gave me a number and begged me to call and report it myself. Oh, you had better believe that I'm going to report it. And report it and report it to anybody who will listen, if I have to. I am absolutely fuming. I want these teachers to cover themselves. I care about their livelihood and their families, and I know that this district is looking for them. I realize that it would be terrifying to make a report, on a lot of different levels.

But here is where I stand. Without them, we have no case. And why would I protect somebody who will not protect my son? They can be court mandated to share what they know. Would they be protected that way? No. But would I turn them in to make certain that this situation is investigated fully? Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. Of course it is a yes. If they don't report it by tomorrow evening, then I shall, pure and simple. I wish that they hadn't put me in this situation. It makes my heart hurt. But their opportunity was more than ample, and I am a mother first. I am ALWAYS a mother first!

My dear friend was telling me that it makes her cry to think that Niko is the one to bring this thing to light. I absolutely agree. The feeling, it's...indescribable. I could kill. I could literally tear this woman to shreds...if it's true. And perhaps it isn't; perhaps that's why these teachers aren't reporting. But we must act as if it is true, because if it is, then this woman needs to be stopped. I told my friend that I would rather Niko be the one that brings this to light rather than some kid six years down the road. I will fight for my son. He will be protected. I want to protect those that need it, and maybe the things that I'm learning right now will be useful to somebody else some day. Something else that was sickening? In the waiting room room I thought, "Wow, all of these special needs kids." The nurse later said, "I'm sorry you were here so long. We had four other people all come in at the same time, and their circumstances were quite similar."

I remind myself that these things are always brought to light eventually. Do I think that I can change the world?

Why, yes. Yes, I can. You just watch me.