For the love of a child

Last week I saw a made-for-TV movie on the Lifetime network. Now if you have ever watched Lifetime, then you will know that all of the movies they show are emotionally moving regardless of the subject matter.

This particular movie "For the Love of a Child" was no exception. However, this movie was 100% based on actual events and people. It tells the story of how a wonderful non-profit organization was created and quickly became so trustworthy that even the state and courts began looking to them to help make decisions as to whether or not to return a child to parents accused of abuse. This organization does more though, they also heal the children of abuse with a variety of methods.

The organization is called ChildHelp.

Eleven half-American, half-Japanese orphans wandering homeless in Tokyo following a typhoon sparked a mission that has spanned internationally for nearly 50 years and impacted the lives of millions of children. Hollywood actresses Sara Buckner (O’Meara) and Yvonne Lime (Fedderson) first met on the set of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, when they played the girlfriends of Ricky and David Nelson. Their mission for children began in 1959 when they were sent on a government-sponsored goodwill tour to visit troops in Japan. On the streets of Tokyo after a typhoon, the actresses came upon a group of cold and frightened children huddled together for warmth. Learning they had no parents and were born from American troops during the Korean War, the young women took the children to their hotel room for the night with the idea of placing them into an orphanage the next day. What they didn’t know then was that this was the beginning of a lifetime commitment to children. They learned the youngsters had been turned away from orphanages because of their mixed heritage. They were told of a woman, Kin Horuchi, living in a one-room hut that kept several Japanese-American children. Soon the actress would quit being actresses on TV and in movies and devote all their time to children.

Later in 1978, Childhelp developed a residential treatment facility exclusively for severely abused children: the Village of Childhelp West in Beaumont, California (near Palm Springs). Along with its excellent therapeutic programs, the village incorporated innovative programs such as art and animal therapy, which continue today. In 1982, Childhelp began operation of the Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has received as many as 300,000 calls annually from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. On average, 90 cents of every dollar donated goes to programs helping children. In nearly 50 years of operation, Childhelp Programs have helped over 4 million children.

There is so much more to this story then I have told you. Please visit their website to learn more and to learn how you can help through monetary donations or more creative means.

Even if your help is simply reporting possible abuse (anonymous) or ensuring children and adults know how to get help for themselves and others. http://www.childhelp.org/get_help/hotline-overview or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

Don't stand by and say "I don't want to get in the middle of family matters" or "It is not my business". Verbal, Emotional and Physical abuse is everyone's business because the children can't always help themselves. Can you live with yourself if you did not report abuse and a child died? I know I could not.


~Dawn