Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 3231

Tonight's special guest is Deanna M. Lehman from Hailey, Idaho, a child abuse survivor, an author, a poet and an artist. Her books include Kinderwhore, Pandora's Box and Japanese Dreams. As a little girl she was physically, sexually and psychologically abused, leading to her removal from her biological mother's custody into foster care. After two failed adoptions, she becomes a troubled teen and is placed in mental institutions, a children's home, juvenile detention, reformatory school and foster homes, as a ward of the State of Ohio, throughout the Eighties and into the Nineties. Yet consistently through her journey of haunted hardships and wistful yearnings, Dianne is still able to capture the joy and beauty of existence, more precious for its rarity in her rootless, tumultuous existence. This book covers theme of love and loss, betrayal and striving to be accepted in a world that doesn't seem to care. This accounting is not just a coming-of-age tale but also an overview of the federal system set in place for abused children, including hospitalization for behavioral difficulties and vivid testimony of Deanna's unfortunate peers experiencing similar woes.  She has a BA from the University of Aomori, Japan, and has lived in Ohio, Florida, Japan, New York and West Virginia. She is currently living in Hailey, Idaho with her boyfriend, David Seelig.