There seems to be quite a few news stories out there that you really cannot believe are true because the details are so horrifying. But they are true. There's the one about the man who ate another man's face off. I'm nearly convinced that there is a zombie apocalypse upon us. And then there is this story about a 7-month pregnant Houston, Texas, woman who drove to a tattoo parlor to get a piercing.
Probably not the best idea, but there are worse choices a pregnant woman can make. And this mom made them. You see, she drove to the tattoo parlor drunk. So drunk that when she was in the tattoo shop, the employees noticed that she was stumbling and appeared to be on something. But that's not all. It gets worse.
She left her 1-year-old baby in the car when she went in to get the piercing. Yes, while drunk and pregnant, she asked the staff how long it would take because her baby was in the car. They refused to pierce her and called the cops, who found her passed out in the front seat with her car door wide open. The 1-year-old was unhurt.
There were beer bottles in the diaper bag.
The unnamed woman is now facing quite a few charges including child endangerment and felony DUI.
This type of behavior is far worse than a tired mom leaving her twins in the car to run in to fill a prescription. Of course, every one of these choices are bad ones. Never drive drunk. Don't get drunk while pregnant. Never leave your baby in the car. But this mom ... she needs help. Major help. Bashing her will do nothing. She most likely will wake up or snap out of it one day and realize her mistakes. She was lucky -- so far. Driving drunk doesn't often result in a second chance. I hope her unborn baby isn't affected. But I can't help but wonder where are her friends? Her family? Were there clues to her destructive behavior? Did anyone try to help?
If anything, this type of story makes me realize that we always need to speak up when we see someone in trouble or if we worry there is a problem. I hope she gets the help she needs. I hope that family can heal. There are two children's lives involved here ... and their mom who clearly needs a lot of help and healing. This is scary stuff and these unbelievable yet true news stories need to stop. I really hope they do.
What do you think of this story? Have you ever seen someone struggling or making poor choices and stepped in to try to help?
Image via banspy/Flickr
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Comments 20
Kudos to the author of this piece, for not sounding incredibly biased, and having compassion.
As to the mother of this piece... she does need help. Plain and simple.
Have I tried to help someone I have seen struggling? Well, I haven't seen anything much worse that someone who was improperly restraining their child.... and I speak up for that.
I wish I could have more compassion, but the only thing I can think is that if she's convicted of the charges against her that she should be forcibly sterilized after her baby is born.
While I agree this woman needs major help, I will still call her out for be a horrible mother! She needs to grown up and be a responsible parent. I realize that being an alcoholic or drug addict is considered a disease but unless you personally grow up with the affects of it, you have no rights to excuse their behaviour. Trust me, the repercussions of this can last a lifetime.
You guys realize she will pay for this, right?
You are nuts if you don't think they will take that 1 year old away, and her baby too, she will probably be in jail when it is born and it will go to a foster family.
Sorry she shouldn't get the daughter back and i think the newborn should be taken as well. I think women are given too many chances and the children are the ones who ultimately suffer.
Well, I think chances are a person like this is beyond any hope. Her children need to go with a another family.....permanently.
In all likelihood she will NOT permanently lose her children and her baby will only be taken @ birth if she in incarcerated or tests poditive got drugs @ that time. She will probably receive probation and CPS involvement. Our overloaded system will not take her babies, even if we think it should.