Mothers flock to court to support mum charged after ‘abandoning special needs son at hospital’
A WOMAN accused of abandoning her special needs son received support from some two dozen mothers when she arrived at court this week.
Diana Elliot, 37, faces a charge of child cruelty after allegedly leaving 14-year-old Sheldon, who has Down Syndrome, alone in an Atlanta hospital on December 4.
She later told investigators she had felt overwhelmed caring for her son and three other children while also living out of a hotel, and that she was leaving him somewhere she thought he would be safe.
The Georgia Division of Family and Child Services has now taken all four of Elliot’s children into custody.
Arriving at a hearing on Thursday, Elliot found the courtroom full of tens of women, none of whom she knew, and began crying when she realised they were there to support her, 11Alive reported.
Among the women was Carla Griffin, who more than ten years ago left her own son, who also has Down Syndrome and was then 17, at a hospital.
Griffin’s son is now living back with her, and when the assistant district attorney asked Elliot where she would live if released, Griffin raised her hand.
“She will live with me. We are family now,” she said.
Lawyer Brian Jarrad, who has three adoptive sons of his own with Down Syndrome, is representing Elliot pro bono.
‘WE ARE NOT LEAVING HER’
Sheryl Arno, executive director of the National Down Syndrome Association, told 11Alive: “This isn’t just today. We are not leaving her.
“We are not leaving this family. We are in this for the long haul.”
The women had also come ready to pay any bond set for Elliot, though she was later released on a signature bond, which allows her to go free until her next court date.
Security footage from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia shows a woman, identified as Elliot by police, leading a boy down a corridor.
The same woman was later seen leaving alone in a red minivan.
Sheldon, who is non-verbal, was later found outside the hospital and without identification by a nurse.
Police said Sheldon appeared to be malnourished, had a diminished mental capacity, and was unable to answer questions.
Elliot was later arrested at a nearby hotel and charged.
Police spokesman Carlos Campos said: “It’s rare that you see somebody older than a newborn being abandoned — its very rare.
“Our message is that we definitely understand that parents can feel overwhelmed by special needs children – that’s something that everyone can empathise with.
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
“But leaving them unattended is not the proper solution.
“The child was found outside, cold and hungry, and that’s just not an appropriate way to deal with something like this.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours