Mother Abandons Severely Disabled Girl At A Bar

(CNN) -- Eva Cameron was driving through Tennessee when her mentally disabled daughter Lynn needed to go to the bathroom. 

Cameron stopped by a small rural bar and let her daughter out of the car before she drove off, returning to her home in Illinois -- leaving Lynn by the side of the road, Caryville Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Smith told CNN.

Cameron eventually came back, to sign papers making her daughter a ward of the state.  While the article is bitter about that point, I have to point it is most assuredly the best thing for the girl.   I am shocked that what she did isn't a crime, even though her daughter is not technically a minor.

Of course we know there are legally approved ways to handle this, not dumping a mentally disabled woman in the middle of nowhere.  Someone with a vocabulary of 40-50 words should have professional care to help them and understand their needs.  Before she snapped (I am assuming that is what happened here) Eva Cameron could have reached out through legal channels to get her daughter the care and supervision she needs to be safe.

I do not want to sound like I am making an excuse for what this woman did.  However, having worked at a group home for disabled kids, and having gone through the hell of being a legal guardian and conservator for a relative with Alzheimer's, I do know how the daily grind can chew your soul.  I know how you can feel like there is no hope because the system makes it as difficult as possible.  This story should also bring those frustrations and difficulties out as well, however.  It is a crucial part of the story.

I hope both women can come to terms with what happened.  It could very well be that both of them do come out better and happier, even if the path doesn't seem to promise much.  According to reports Lynn is doing very well in her new home.