Jennifer and her husband Scott are never going to be parents of the year. A few weeks ago the Detroit-based couple became the most disliked parents, not just in their neighborhood, but across America (and possibly the world), when news broke that they had been harassing the dying girl who lived across the street. But when Jennifer posted a photo on Facebook of 7-year-old Kathleen Edward, who is in the final stages of Huntington’s disease (the very same illness that killed her 24-year-old mother Laura last year) above a set of crossed bones, she probably never imagined the toll it would take on her own family.
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Having your kids taken away has got to be the worst experience for any mother. But the people living near Jennifer don’t think she’s learned her lesson. “I really believe she has no remorse,” says neighbor Nicole Boling. “She needs some mental help. I really, honestly think she needs some mental help.”
Dr. Gilda Carle tells HollyBaby.com that Boiling hit the nail on the head. “I was aghast when I heard about this. There’s no doubt that Jennifer is mentally deranged,” says Dr. Carle. “What kind of woman would go after a helpless child who is clinging to life. If anything, a mother would have gone out of her way to help create a positive and supportive environment for that child in her last days.”
We agree. Especially since this whole incident began over a birthday party two years ago. “Kathleen’s grandmother had a birthday party, and Jennifer sent a message asking if her kids could come over to play,” says Gabrielle Edwards, Kathleen’s stepmother. When the grandmother didn’t reply to the text message fast enough, Jennifer declared war. “That’s where it all started.”
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I’m stunned that a mother would wage war with a sick child over not being invited to a party. I’m even more saddened that a mother would risk the welfare of her own family over something so stupid. But Dr. Carle points out that Jennifer is probably not sane enough to consider the consequences of her actions. “Thinking about having her kids taken away was the furthest thing from Jennifer’s mind when she posted that picture to Facebook,” she says. “Deranged people don’t think in terms of consequences.”
Dr. Gilda suggests that Jennifer will need extensive therapy treatments and counseling before she should ever be allowed contact with children again. If you ask me, those kids have got to be better off being away from Jennifer. We just hope their dad has a solid head on his shoulders so that they stand a chance at having a normal childhood.