Thyri Wood died this past July at the age of one. She was found in her crib on July 1, and the coroner's report stated that she likely passed away from dehydration, malnourishment, and neglect. Do not be too hasty in judging her caretaker, which in this case was her 11-year-old brother. The mother, Jennnifer Wood, was prone to go missing for days at a time, leaving the children to largely fend for themselves. Her longest disappearance was to Las Vegas for a week.
When Thyri's death was first discovered, the Los Angeles Times stated that the eldest brother, James Williams, had been bringing food home from school until the mother kicked him out of the house, which left the 11-year-old James to look after Thyri and his toddler sister. Although the mother would bring food to the home, it frequently only lasted a day. James ended up feeding Thyri jelly and french fries since he thought that might be the only food she would be able to digest. Why didn't someone do something? Well, according to the Times piece:
A DCFS analysis had determined that the situation was “high” risk, which typically means that social workers should open a case. But, according to DCFS records, the social worker overrode the recommendation — a decision that requires a supervisor’s approval.
DCFS social workers are supposed to refer a child to a medical professional if they believe the child is malnourished. But the social worker described Thyri as “happy” and closed the referral before a doctor saw her.
“If there’s a lack of food in the home, and there’s a 1-year-old, that’s extremely dangerous,” said former DCFS director Bobby Cagle, who resigned in 2021. “You can’t just take the word of a parent.”
The Times reports that this past Tuesday, Los Angeles County finally demanded an investigation into Thyri's death. County supervisors voted to ask the Office of Child Protection to look into the matter. According to the Times, the office is considered the "watchdog" of the Department of Children and Family Services. For its part, DCFS says that it welcomes the investigation, stating:
Child welfare cases are rarely clear-cut, and tragedies are sobering reminders that there are families in under-resourced communities whose acute personal challenges can quickly escalate when they do not have access to adequate support. Sadly, even in loving homes, crises may lead to neglect or abuse.
Granted, I am not an expert in such matters, but the situation surrounding Thyri and her siblings appears pretty clear-cut to me, as it would to any person of conscience.
As we look to the new year, many conservatives are excited about a new era that will dawn under the Trump administration. While Donald Trump's revision of government may bring a sense of relief to many, should he succeed in draining the swamp, Thyri's death took place in California, which continues to embrace destructive policies that serve only to maintain the health and welfare of the bureaucrat class.
Under the aegis of Gavin Newsom and his allies, it is likely to remain so. This is because, despite what the Left may tell you, the first priority of its members has been and always will be themselves. Lofty rhetoric aside, the compassion of the Left rarely, if ever, extends beyond its own interests. As much as we may welcome the efforts of Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy, a wholesale change in American thinking is needed if we are to make anything great. And that will take longer than four years.
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