ONEIDA (NBC 26) — Authorities are learning more about the 14-year-old girl rescued back in August from an Oneida home, a teen found weighing just 35 pounds after what investigators call years of extreme abuse and neglect.
Her family says she’s not only safe… she’s thriving. And her cousin is sharing her remarkable progress.
"I can tell you she's a very vibrant little girl. She will tell you exactly how she feels about all situations… and I think that's really what's helped her to progress as far as she has,” says her cousin and family spokesperson, Leslie Doxtater.
In just six weeks, she has gained more than 40 pounds. But her family says recovery will be slow.
"She's up to 78 pounds now… she's 3 inches taller… there's still a lot of long-term malnourishment issues that we have to address," adds Doxtater.
She’s relearning basic movements, and even simple steps can be painful while her body heals.
"...she wants to go and play, she wants to go and run… and we have to keep reminding her like, just wait for your body to catch up… but she is getting there."
Her cousin says the young teen is open, talkative, and quick to share how she feels. But about the years in that house, she says very little.
“She doesn't really talk about it, she just knows that it was bad,” Doxtater says.
"And all I tell her is like, you'll never have to go through that again.”
Her family says the priority now is structure, consistency, and letting her move forward at her own pace.
Doxtater says that when the teen was first released from the hospital:
“She hugged everybody in the room… like ‘I love you, thank you for being here’… and that was really what she needed… and why I want the community to also have this opportunity to come forward and show support.”
The 14-year-old, who we are not naming because she is a minor, and to protect her privacy, is back in school and making friends.
Click the link if you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe to help support her needs as she continues to thrive.
