Sally Donovan is cooking when a paper plane flies across the kitchen and lands at her feet.
Sally
Donovan
is
cooking
when
a
paper
plane
flies
across
the
kitchen
and
lands
at
her
feet
.
She picks it up, unfolds it and finds a child's sketch of a tear-stained face with a speech bubble saying: "I'm sorry I was naughty--I'm a bad person."
She
picks
it
up
,
unfolds
it
and
finds
a
child
's
sketch
of
a
tear-stained
face
with
a
speech
bubble
saying
:
``
I
'm
sorry
I
was
naughty
--
I
'm
a
bad
person
.
''
Sally, 42, draws a big smiley face on the back of the paper with "I love you, Rose, and we're always going to look after you."
Sally
,
42
,
draws
a
big
smiley
face
on
the
back
of
the
paper
with
``
I
love
you
,
Rose
,
and
we
're
always
going
to
look
after
you
.
''
Then she folds it up and launches the plane back into the living room where her nine-year-old daughter is watching TV with brother Jamie, 13 and dad Rod, 40.
Then
she
folds
it
up
and
launches
the
plane
back
into
the
living
room
where
her
nine-year-old
daughter
is
watching
TV
with
brother
Jamie
,
13
and
dad
Rod
,
40
.
Jamie often makes pictures for his parents too--like the one showing a swift river with them on one side and him trapped on the other side.
Jamie
often
makes
pictures
for
his
parents
too
--
like
the
one
showing
a
swift
river
with
them
on
one
side
and
him
trapped
on
the
other
side
.
It's one of the many unusual ways that Sally and Rob have learned to communicate emotionally with their abused children in an astonishing eight-year journey of hope, healing and love.
It
's
one
of
the
many
unusual
ways
that
Sally
and
Rob
have
learned
to
communicate
emotionally
with
their
abused
children
in
an
astonishing
eight-year
journey
of
hope
,
healing
and
love
.
Jamie was just four and half--sister Rose one when they were adopted by the Donovans in 2005.
Jamie
was
just
four
and
half
--
sister
Rose
one
when
they
were
adopted
by
the
Donovans
in
2005
.
The youngsters had been taken from their natural mother and placed in foster care after a series of cruelty and neglect.
The
youngsters
had
been
taken
from
their
natural
mother
and
placed
in
foster
care
after
a
series
of
cruelty
and
neglect
.
They were left alone, hungry, and witnessed home violence on a regular basis.
They
were
left
alone
,
hungry
,
and
witnessed
home
violence
on
a
regular
basis
.
Sally and Rob spent three years trying for a baby before deciding to adopt, and were well aware of the youngsters' poor background.
Sally
and
Rob
spent
three
years
trying
for
a
baby
before
deciding
to
adopt
,
and
were
well
aware
of
the
youngsters
'
poor
background
.
But they were still unprepared for raising a child permanently scared by abuse or the lack of support on offer.
But
they
were
still
unprepared
for
raising
a
child
permanently
scared
by
abuse
or
the
lack
of
support
on
offer
.
But now Sally has written a brilliant and heart-touching account of their family struggle in a book called "No Matter What".
But
now
Sally
has
written
a
brilliant
and
heart-touching
account
of
their
family
struggle
in
a
book
called
``
No
Matter
What
''
.
Sally said: "These kids come to you with a story that what happened to them was their fault--because they are bad and unlovable.
Sally
said
:
``
These
kids
come
to
you
with
a
story
that
what
happened
to
them
was
their
fault
--
because
they
are
bad
and
unlovable
.
To show them they are loveable and none of it was their fault takes a lot of time.
To
show
them
they
are
loveable
and
none
of
it
was
their
fault
takes
a
lot
of
time
.
They both still say" I'm bad ".
They
both
still
say
''
I
'm
bad
``
.
Jamie is less stuck on it now but whenever life deals him a knock, he will fall back into 'that happened because I am stupid, I'm rubbish, I'm bad'."
Jamie
is
less
stuck
on
it
now
but
whenever
life
deals
him
a
knock
,
he
will
fall
back
into
'that
happened
because
I
am
stupid
,
I
'm
rubbish
,
I
'm
bad
'
.
''
Sally's book is humorous, heart-touching and so wildly honest that academics, charity bosses, parents and adoptees are praising it as a major contribution to child welfare work.
Sally
's
book
is
humorous
,
heart-touching
and
so
wildly
honest
that
academics
,
charity
bosses
,
parents
and
adoptees
are
praising
it
as
a
major
contribution
to
child
welfare
work
.
Sally Donovan is cooking when a paper plane flies across the kitchen and lands at her feet. She picks it up, unfolds it and finds a child's sketch of a tear-stained face with a speech bubble saying: "I'm sorry I was naughty--I'm a bad person."  Sally, 42, draws a big smiley face on the back of the paper with "I love you, Rose, and we're always going to look after you." Then she folds it up and launches the plane back into the living room where her nine-year-old daughter is watching TV with brother Jamie, 13 and dad Rod, 40.  Jamie often makes pictures for his parents too--like the one showing a swift river with them on one side and him trapped on the other side.  It's one of the many unusual ways that Sally and Rob have learned to communicate emotionally with their abused children in an astonishing eight-year journey of hope, healing and love.  Jamie was just four and half--sister Rose one when they were adopted by the Donovans in 2005. The youngsters had been taken from their natural mother and placed in foster care after a series of cruelty and neglect. They were left alone, hungry, and witnessed home violence on a regular basis.  Sally and Rob spent three years trying for a baby before deciding to adopt, and were well aware of the youngsters' poor background. But they were still unprepared for raising a child permanently scared by abuse or the lack of support on offer.  But now Sally has written a brilliant and heart-touching account of their family struggle in a book called "No Matter What". Sally said: "These kids come to you with a story that what happened to them was their fault--because they are bad and unlovable. To show them they are loveable and none of it was their fault takes a lot of time. They both still say" I'm bad ". Jamie is less stuck on it now but whenever life deals him a knock, he will fall back into 'that happened because I am stupid, I'm rubbish, I'm bad'."  Sally's book is humorous, heart-touching and so wildly honest that academics, charity bosses, parents and adoptees are praising it as a major contribution to child welfare work.