This article is in the Chicago Reader. I recieved responses from both the journalist Julie Sell, and the subject Kay Osbourn. Here are their responses. I plan to e-mail the Jamaican newspaper. I think an international response would be very powerful in this country that is so dependent on tourism. The boy has my heart too. Please help. here is the info

Subject :
Re: Little Lost Boy-Julie Sell
Date :

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 11:14:37 EST

Bob,

I don't know if you've heard back from editors at the Reader or not. Sounds like the best way for members of your group to find the article is in the Reader's archives:

Go to http://www.chicagoreader.com, click on Archives, then type in Kay Osborne as a search phrase.

Best wishes,
Julie
*****************************************************************************

Subject :
I am the Jamaican woman in the article....
Date :
Tue, 11 Feb 2003 17:19:21 -0500

Thanks for your kind words. I'm still in Jamaica struggling with powerful, entrenched systems and people who deny that the child was abused or that the child could have been abused. But all is not lost. It is clear to me that systemic abuse like occurs in Jamaican children's homes and places of safety is doomed to fail. Collectively we'll destroy it. Yes, you can definitely help by writing to the newspaper as every voice counts. Email a letter to the Gleaner
Newspaper's Editor to this email address: letters@gleanerjm.com
Yes, please go ahead and put the article on the web site if the Reader allows you to. Thanks for your support. Kay

Hi Bob,

The link to the Chicagoreader waqs dead for me. I will contact the email address and try Chicago Reader on Google.

Bob

While everyone wants to help a missing or abused child, please remember that there are a lot of hoaxes that get passed on from person to well-meaning person without anyone checking to see if the appeal is legit.

This post has some hallmarks of a hoax. It sounds legit but there is important information missing, such as the name of the child or other identifying facts.

That Bob couldn't get to the purported link raises my suspicions. Until the original person sending this one on comes up with a name for RJD, I'd be careful about wasting time and energy on any efforts. Once you get a name, check it on:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blxatoz.htm
This addy is where you should go to check out any rumors or stuff passed on from friends. Bookmark it for future references.

Ken

I did a Google search and then typed in the name Kay Osborne.

What came up is a link asking for my credit card information.

It seems a little fishy to me too.

Here is the link.

https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin...E&search=%22Kay Osborne%22

But, I wouldn't give out any credit card info. Sounds too suspicious to me.

John

It is listed in the Chicago Reader Archives under LITTLE BOY LOST,date of article 02/07/2003, author, SELL.

Sorry gentlemen this is more difficult than I was expecting. I finally had a chance to look it up online, but there is going to be a charge of something like $1.97. The paper is free here in Chicago. It is the entertainment listings of everything that is going on in town. The paper has a reputation of being fairly legit from what I hear. We grab the paper often to see what is happening around town.

The story carries the photograph of the adopting mother on the cover of the paper. The paper doesn't give his real name, but lists it as 'David'. He began behaving grossly inappropriate with her then her dog. She had the child evaluated here and she was told the intensive treatment would cost 94,000 for at least one year. She could not afford the treatment, and had to return the boy to jamaica. He was returned to the place where she had originally found him and nothing was done in terms of treatment for the boy. He also had been evaluated in Jamaica but that went nowhere either.

I'm distressed that they want to charge for the article. It is a free paper so I guess that's reality., but that is disturbing to me. I would copy the article but I'm afraid of the legalities.


R= Robert = Bob = I am not a hoax. This feels shitty. I'm not looking to be rescued by a well meaning skeptic thank you. It is a mainstream newspaper here. I picked up 2 copies of the newspaper with the article.

It lists her,Kay Osbourn, as working for Hewitt Associates I guess that is in Chicago.

I thought they couldn't print the name of under aged children in the paper anyway.


I'm depressed.

Hi Bob,

You have seen the paper and the article so you know it exists. You also know that they printed the story and papers usually check stories out.

I not sure if you thought you were accused of being a hoax. No one said that I am sure. Ken indicated that the story may be a hoax, but certainly not you.

I have not read the article but it would be worth the money for me to read it to decide if there is anything I can do.

Medical expenses are astronomical. $94 grand is a believeable amount.

Does the story ask for people to help? Do they have a place to send money at a bank or something?
I would imagine the boy could not get really good care in Jamaica.

Tell us what you know and how we might help. We can also use the link Ken gave to check it out. How old is the child?

Take care. Hopefull you can rest well tonight and we can look into this more tomorrow if we can.

Bob

Chy-Wy has the correct direct address. The newspaper does want money for copy.

The article itself does not ask for money at all.

I wrote a letter to the editor offering moral support to the adopting mother speaking as a survivor myself.

My letter was forwarded to the author of the article.

The author, Julie Sell then forwarded my letter on to the adopting mother Kay Osborne who was at the time in Jamaica. The letter above is her response to my letter.

The letter from Julie is her second one to me. She was concerned that I might not have recieved info from some other editors when I asked how to get the article online. Her concern was justified because I had not recieved information from them

She asks for NO money.

The article does not ask for help. It just describes the adopting mother's plight.

The adopting mother grew up in Jamaica and wanted to offer another child access to what the outside world can offer.

She was in shock at what the child she was adopting was burdened with at such a young age. She was overwhelmed with what the child required, and could not continue with the adoption. She returned the child but followed up on him to see if he was getting the care he needed. He was not only not getting appropriate care, but he was put back in the environment from which he came. He is with younger children and with dogs in his environment.

She offers the e-mail of the Jamaican Newspaper because I offered to write a letter supporting her cause.

The boy is 6 yrs old.

It was my idea to offer moral support. It was my idea to share the article here in hopes of adding to my support to pressure the authorities to seek apropriate help for the boy.

As I understand it, desperate poverty exists alongside opulance in Jamaica. But I don't know everything (don't let my wife hear me say that, I think I almost have her convinced I do).


"Until the original person sending this one on
comes up with a name for RJD,I'd be careful about wasting time and energy on any efforts." I became defensive with this and asked my wife to read it too. She gasped in shock. I heard it as challanging my credability and asking me to identify myself.


Till tomorrow----

RJD:
I'm sorry that it came across that way:

In no way did I intend to dispute your good intentions and caring, credibility, nor to question your identity. I was pointing out that there are numerous hoaxes about missing or abused children that get passed on through the internet by well-meaning people. Even when these hoaxes do not involve people sending money, they tend to waste people's time and emotional energy.

All I am saying is to be cautious before getting caught up in something that may be a hoax.

The $94,000 figure sounds like annual residential treatment costs. Although six year old children sometimes need residential treatment, they are generally treated outpatient unless their condition is so severe that they cannot be safetly treated in the home.

I'm puzzled why Chicago child welfare folks would deny treatment for a child in their jurisdiction. Status as a citizen does not matter. The law requires dependant, abused and neglected children to be treated for physical and emotional needs in the jurisdiction they reside. They cannot tell someone to "go back home".

If the mother would like to give me details of what occured, I have colleagues in Chicago who can look into this.

Again my apologies for the misunderstanding. In no way did I imply that your credibility was questionable, RJD.
Ken