Our articles on The AIMN attract not only wonderful responses from those who comment here, but also through emails or messages on our Facebook page. Some of these are published on our site.
The George Pell High Court decision prompted many responses. This moving story – with the permission of our reader – we offer to you.
I am a nurse of 30 years and hear many sad stories from people who have sometimes never told anyone else, or have sad news.
I have never been so moved as when I showed an elderly man into the room and told him what to do. He said; “Sorry, I’m stupid.”
No one says that and there was no need because he had never been before and couldn’t have known the drill. Anyway, I told him there was no need to apologise. He later stated to the doctor “you are somebody, I’m a nobody.” Again, there was no need to this comment.
What struck me was his sincerity. He eventually told his story:
When he was a child in England, his father went to war and came back a changed man who was an alcoholic and ended up in jail. He died a few months later. His mother died 6 months after his father’s passing.
He, 9, and his brother were sent to a boy’s home in Australia where he was routinely abused. He only got to eat because he worked in the kitchen, so the big boys couldn’t steal his food. He slept in a urine-soaked bed. He worked 12-hour days and was beaten by the brothers. He finally decided to kill one if the brothers when one day he was sent up a ladder to fix something, the brother then stopped one rung too low, so he couldn’t reach to kick him in the head.
At 15, not able to read or write, he was kicked out of the home with a letter to say he “wouldn’t amount to much”.
This man still believed what that letter said. This broken man will never come forward because he said he couldn’t bare to talk about what happened. Both the doctor (whom I’ve never witnessed tear up or become upset in front of patients before, despite many moving situations) and I (who has cried on possible 3 occasions when with a patient) were so upset to hear this elderly man, who was still a broken little boy, say he was “nothing”.
The abusers are monsters.
Nothing has moved me more than being with this man. A sweet, innocent but broken boy inside an ageing body. A man robbed of what could have been. I hugged him as there was nothing else I could do.
Meanwhile, QCs are defending the cruel enablers; the Church that has done nothing to rid this filth.
[textblock style=”7″]
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
[/textblock]
