TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Young Attack Victim's Story Stirs Many Readers

ADVERTISEMENT

By Steve Otto

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 16, 2008

The e-mail all week and the comments on the blog have continued to focus on the recent column on the young woman lying in a hospital bed, the victim of a horrific beating and rape outside the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library. The event itself was awful enough, but I think it is that sense of abandonment - true or untrue - that has stirred so many of you. Here are just a few of your thoughts.

•Susan Cain of Tampa commented: "This story brings back sad and hard times. I was in a coma from a closed head injury (three months). My family took me home, instead of a nursing home. They were told I would never walk or talk again. My family wouldn't listen. They slowly nursed me back to almost as good as before. Love from my family saved my life. We got assistance from Easter Seals. Call them."

•Peter Dell of Tampa writes: "While this article is drawing attention to the current state of health care and the unfortunate truth that there are not enough resources to allow people to stay in an acute care hospital setting for an extended period of time, the article criminalizes the caregivers, specifically that of the social worker. I am sure that time was given to find a place that would adequately care for this woman appropriately. It is my opinion the writer was lashing out at an event that appears to be pure evil but has placed misguided judgments on the hospital staff."

•Kathleen Balkwill of Lithia shared her experience. "I feel terrible for the family. I have a daughter who was in a terrible car accident in 1999, her senior year. Tampa General gave her the best care. We had to fight the insurance company and even the school. My husband was on the phone and kept a log of everything. I stayed in the hospital every day until she came home."

•Kathy Goodman at the USF library writes: "Why is this Steve Otto story not being published in the regular newspaper, where people who don't have computers can read it? Not everyone without a computer can go to the library and read this on the library's computer. I had thought for weeks that the young lady was probably functioning back in the world. All of this time she has been lying in a hospital bed, not functioning. People get discouraged, lose interest, when they just receive small amounts of information in the newspaper, with the prompts to go to the computer for the 'rest of the story.' Thank you for having the sensitivity to write this story. Your deepness of heart might get you in trouble with the big guys, but this needed to be exposed." (Note from Steve: The column in question did run in the Sunday Metro section, three days after it appeared as a blog item on TBO.com. This is a brave new world.)

•Tallia Van Erde, from San Jose, Costa Rica, commented: "I grew up in Tampa and currently live in San Jose, where I read about this poor young woman online. My advice to the girl's mother is to stay strong and never let anyone else tell her what is best for her daughter. It is the social worker's job to worry about the bottom line, not what is best for this promising student's future. This girl is not a lost cause. She is a miracle and her life has so much meaning. Everyone who hears her story is rooting for her. Please keep us informed and how we can help."

•Renee Warmack of Tampa writes: "Do you know if there is a way to support (in addition to praying) the family of the young woman who was raped, beaten and is in a coma? I read the article and had been anxiously awaiting that update on her condition. I cannot tell you how much that crime has disturbed me. I know that I am just 'Jill Public' but I really feel like I need to do something to help ... anything. As a woman I know a million times over that something like that could have happened to me, my sisters, my Mom. I am so tired of animals preying on women." (Note from Steve: Film producer, speaker and author Renee Warmack is anything but "Jill Public.")

•Mike Lombardi of Lakeland, like many of you, wonders: "Has any charitable fund been set up to assist the family with its financial burden?"

The answer is yes. SunTrust Bank has a fund called the Bloomingdale Library Assault Victim Fund. You can call any branch for information.

Keyword, Otto Graphs, to read and comment on Steve Otto's blog.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT