Once Danielle was safe, Tracy Sheehan—an attorney who has since become a circuit court judge—was appointed as her legal advocate. Judge Sheehan became Danielle's voice in the courtroom.
In all her years in public service, Judge Sheehan says she's never seen anything like Danielle's case. "I daresay most of us have not. It was really mind-boggling that a child was so devoid of social skills. She couldn't grab her sippy cup. She couldn't do positive/negative reinforcement regarding potty training," she says. "It was just the saddest thing that this child ... was being raised like a potted plant, literally."
Published 03/03/2009
