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Siblings From Turpin 'Horror House' Are Thriving 6 Weeks After Rescue, Say Nurses

NewsPublished Feb 23, 2018
By Jordyn Smith
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The January discovery and rescue of the 13 Turpin siblings held captive in their parents' California home has held the nation in a suspended state of shock for weeks. While further investigation into the horrors their parents subjected them to have been hard to hear, recent admissions from those working with them show that while their road to recovery is far from over, these siblings have bright futures ahead of them. 

Six weeks after the David and Louise Turpin's arrests and the rescue of their 13 kids, a lawyer representing the couple's seven adult children has shared promising details about the siblings' recovery. CBS News spoke with attorney Jack Osborn, who confirmed that the seven siblings are eager to move forward with their lives and, most recently, have begun making small decisions on their own for the first time. "That in itself is a new experience for them, understanding that they do have rights and they do have a voice," he said.

More from CafeMom: Video of Captive Siblings 'Escaping' Surfaces Amid New Details About Their Parents

Osborn shared that hospital staff at the Corona Medical Center, where the adult siblings are recovering, took it upon themselves to convert a part of the hospital to make it more comfortable for them. There, they have an open outdoor area to play sports and exercise. They are also being exposed to modern entertainment and technology their parents deprived them of. The siblings are reportedly enjoying reading Harry Potter for the first time, using iPads, and learning to play the guitar. "That's a big deal, deciding what they're going to read, deciding what they're going to wear," said Osborn. "These are all things that are decisions they make every day that are new and empowering."

Corona mayor Karen Spiegel told CBS News that the nurses working with the older siblings often comment on how they've managed to retain good-natured attitudes after the horrors they suffered. "They talk about how warm and loving these kids are and so appreciative," she said. "Some of them have never really seen a toothbrush before. ... Things that we just take for granted mean so much to these kids."

People

CNN reports that the younger Turpin children are not staying at the Corona Medical Center with their older siblings and are at a different, undisclosed hospital. Spiegel revealed that the seven older siblings haven't been reunited with the younger siblings yet, but they do communicate through Skype.

Support has been pouring in for all 13 of the siblings since their discovery, with the community in Corona stepping in to offer help and donors from around the world raising more than a half million dollars to help with the cost of their long-term care. 

Osborne says that the older siblings are looking forward to going to the beach, hiking mountains, and visiting the movies once they are cleared by their physicians. In the long term, they want to attend college and start careers. "I just want you to understand just what special individuals they are," Osborn said. "They all have their own aspirations and their own interests and now they may have an opportunity to address those, which is really exciting."

More from CafeMom: Parents Arrested After Their 13 Kids Were Found Starved & 'Shackled' to Their Beds

As for their parents, David and Louise Turpin are set to appear in court sometime this afternoon for the next procedural hearing in their highly publicized child abuse case. The couple has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of torture, false imprisonment, and child abuse. CBS News reports that if the case continues on to trial, the Turpin siblings are expected to testify.

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