A Child Lost Forever

Lifetime Movie Network showed the movie based on a true story called "A Child Lost Forever." It followed a young woman, Jerry Sherwood, who at 17, got pregnant. She gave birth to Dennis Craig Puckett but sadly, was forced by the authorities to give up her baby for adoption. She didn't want to but it seemed like the only logical thing to do at the time. She was told he would be placed in a good home and taken care of well. She was told that she would be able to look for him after he turned the age of 18. She signed the papers.

She missed him every day for every year she wasn't with him. Every year, she lit a candle for his birthday and sang to his picture. In the middle of her sadness and remembering Dennis, Jerry did have 3 other children and raised them.

During the time that Jerry was getting on with her life, the movie went back to show how Dennis was living. He was now living with a woman named, Lois Jergens. She had adopted Dennis but already had another child name Robert. She was a mean woman. She was always yelling at Dennis. Not Robert, only because he obeyed and behaved like a good boy.

19 years had passed and when Jerry knew that it was time to find and contact Dennis, she spoke with the adoption agency to ask for information on how to reach him. A few days had passed and she had received a letter. It had stated that Dennis was dead. She was devasted. The worst part about the letter was that it stated that Dennis had died when he was 3 years old. She was shocked even more. What happened?, she asked herself over and over again. Then to not even get notified made her start getting upset. Every day for 19 years she thought he was alive and living a good life but then to find out that he passed away so young made it unbelieveable for her to grasp. She wanted to know how he died.

She wasn't getting much help with her search for information. Then she found out that Lois Jergens, who had adopted Dennis, was accused of child abuse but was never charged. She knew deep down that the abuse is what really caused Dennis to die. Jerry's lawyer had enough information to prosecute. During the trial, witnesses were sharing stories of the abuse that Dennis received by the hands of Lois. Then the real reason of his death was a hard blow to the abdomen that caused internal injuries was announced. The jury found Lois guilty and she was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The beatings that Dennis endured was unbearable to watch. It was sad to watch this cute little boy get yelled at just because he was playful. I don't understand why parents become abusive. It was nice to see justice for little Dennis and put Jerry's mind at ease knowing that her son is in heaven and his killer in jail.

Lizzy   =)