"The authorities had discovered the rarest and most pitiable of creatures: a feral child."

This is a story from the St. Petersburg Times about a young girl who was the victim of one of the worst cases of neglect you will ever read about. It's such an incredible story, and here you have both the best and worst parts of human nature laid out in technicolor: the mother who did this to her own daughter, and the family who was courageous enough to bring the girl into their lives. I've been sitting here riveted by this story, crying, trying to wrap my head around it all, and feeling really inspired by the generosity of strangers. See also the video and audio component to the story. And then go hug your kids.

(via Kottke)