Loved ones of a 14-year-old girl who authorities say was discovered severely malnourished are sharing an encouraging update on her recovery, writing in an online fundraiser that she is now “looking forward to a brighter future.”
The teenager weighed about 35 lbs. when authorities found her in August after responding to the home she shared with her father and stepmother in Oneida, Wisc. Her father reportedly called 911 to say she was extremely lethargic and weak, FOX 11 reported, citing court documents.
According to those documents, the girl was suffering from severe malnutrition along with respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe acute hepatitis, and pancreatitis. A first responder reportedly thought she was only 6 or 7 years old because of her small size. The girl, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
In a GoFundMe campaign, loved ones said she has made “tremendous progress” since then.
“In just a few months, she has grown 3 inches and doubled her body weight,” they wrote. “Her body, which had been deprived of nourishment for far too long, is beginning to heal. She has gained muscle mass and is gradually regaining the strength lost to years of [alleged] neglect.”
They added that her healing isn’t only physical. “Beyond the physical recovery, she is also working on the basics of self-care — things many of us do without thinking, like bathing, brushing her teeth, and caring for her hair,” the fundraiser says, noting that “each day she grows more independent.”
As part of the investigation, the girl’s father, Walter Goodman, 47, his wife Melissa Goodman, her daughter Savanna Lefever, 29, and Lefever’s partner Kayla Stemler, 27, were arrested.
All four suspects are charged with three felony counts of chronic neglect of a child resulting in great bodily harm and two felony counts of chronic neglect of a child resulting in emotional damage, according to charging documents.
Outagamie County Assistant District Attorney Julie DuQuaine alleged that the girl “was neglected for a number of years,” FOX 11 reported. DuQuaine also said the teen had not been to a doctor since September 2020 and had not attended school since the COVID pandemic began.
A witness told WISN that Walter reportedly said, “Well, I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that’s where she stays.”
While hospitalized, the girl allegedly told medical staff that her father “doesn’t like when I eat that much” after being informed she would receive three meals a day, the criminal complaint states. Staff noted that her “eyes lit up” when she heard about the meal schedule.
Authorities also allege that Stemler and Melissa were aware of the abuse, pointing to text messages exchanged between them. In one message, Melissa allegedly wrote, “Its hard tbh and some days I don’t want to anymore and wish she’d just go away,” according to the complaint.
It’s not clear whether any of the suspects have entered pleas or hired attorneys. FOX 11 reported that the defendants could face more than 80 years in prison if convicted.
