INDIANAPOLIS, May 11, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The unmarked graves of 699 children are located on "Community Hill" at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, in the shadows of the cemetery's noted "Crown Hill," where the rich, powerful and privileged are buried. More than 100 years after the first children were buried without grave markers, the Hearts Remembered Memorial will be unveiled at a special event at 2 p.m., June 4, 2006, finally paying the proper recognition to these forgotten children who died from neglect, maltreatment and disease.
Hearts Remembered is a program of the Care for Kids Foundation, an Indianapolis-based 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support initiatives and programs centered on assisting or creating an awareness of the needs of vulnerable children.
The memorial itself comprises three black granite monoliths. The 9-ft. center stone features a 30-in. cut circle that houses a bronze sculpture of two children, hand-in-hand, and is flanked on either side by 5-ft. complementary stones. Engraved with the names of the nearly 700 children, the five-ton monument will stand in the shadows with the children as a chilling reminder that we as a society must pay attention to all children.
"Memorializing these forgotten children is not only the right thing to do, it also helps remind us how precious the lives of our children are," said Michael Thierwechter, president of Care for Kids.
"Survivor's" Rupert Highlights Unveiling
With a long history of working with at-risk youth, Survivor star and founder of Rupert's Kids, Rupert Boneham, will be the keynote speaker at the June 4 memorial unveiling ceremony. Prior to his celebrity status, Boneham worked with a variety of children's organizations, including the Dawn Project, where he excelled in his ability to work with hard-edged youth with whom many other mentors and caregivers had difficulty connecting.
The scraggly haired, teddy bear of a man has since used his $1 million Survivor prize money to continue helping children in need through the not-for-profit Rupert's Kids. Hearts Remembered was an obvious fit.
In addition to Boneham's appearance, the free public event also will feature performances by the Indianapolis Children's Choir and a local dance group.
The Bigger Issue
While the children found in Crown Hill died between 1892 and 1980 -- some from diseases not prevalent today -- the fact is children continue to die needlessly every day.
"The children at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis may be only a fraction of the forgotten children in the United States," Thierwechter said. "And, this problem didn't end in 1980. The tragedy lives on today."
The recent data is staggering. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System reported an estimated 1,400 child fatalities in 2002, and 1,356 children throughout the nation died in 2000 due to child maltreatment, which is equivalent to almost four children each day.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 906,000 children in the United States were confirmed by child protective services as being abused or neglected in 2003. Recent psychological studies have shown children who experience maltreatment are at increased risk for lifelong adverse health effects, including suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, sexual promiscuity and certain chronic diseases.
A Vicious Circle
Sadly, situations such as alcoholism, drug abuse and sexual promiscuity were among the lifestyles that catalyzed many of the untimely deaths of the 699 Indianapolis area children who came from the Board of Children's Guardians, the Children's Bureau, Indianapolis Children's Asylum and the Home for Friendless Colored Children. Now all that remains of these children's lives are notes found in the archives at the various organizations, all similar to the following actual transcripts:
He is an illegitimate child...The child had not been properly cared for and it showed unmistakable signs of neglect. The Kinleys are a bad set. Father is in penitentiary. Mother notified of Paul's death. Did not attend burial. Syphilis was the disease and she was a terrible object to look at. He is an illegitimate boy. The mother was arrested for prostitution...The house was filthy and the child not cared for.
"By finally recognizing the lives of these children, we hope to encourage people to work toward protecting all children," Thierwechter said. "That's truly what Hearts Remembered is about -- honoring the innocent lives lost and reminding everyone to love and nurture all children. What's more, we hope others across the nation will contact us with their stories, so we can help other forgotten children receive the recognition they deserve."
Unfortunately, the children were buried in Crown Hill Cemetery without even a simple grave marker. The hillside gravesite is littered with surveyor posts, but no headstones can be found.
On the first Sunday in June, the children will finally receive an appropriate marker. The Hearts Remembered Memorial's prominent center stone, in which the evocative reflection of the barren gravesite can be seen, is inscribed with the following: "Every life touches someone, and no life should ever be forgotten, especially the life of a child."
Hearts Remembered memorializes orphans, abused children and others who are buried in unmarked graves. These children died from neglect, maltreatment and disease. They remind us every day how precious the lives of our children are and that we as a society must protect and nurture all children.
Hearts Remembered is a program of the Care for Kids Foundation, an Indianapolis-based 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support initiatives and programs centered on assisting or creating an awareness of the needs of vulnerable children.