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Mother of 555-pound teen released from jail
Associated Press
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
GREENVILLE - A South Carolina mother accused of neglecting her 555-pound son's health has been released on bond.
WYFF-TV reported Tuesday that Jerri Gray is no longer being held at the Greenville County jail. She was arrested on a charge of violating a custody order last month when she did not appear in court.
Police found Gray and her 14-year-old son at a laundry in a Baltimore suburb.
Since then, community members and businesses have stepped in to help the mother and her son.
WYFF reports that attorneys aren't charging Gray for legal work and a Greenville car dealer towed her van back from Baltimore.
Gray's attorneys, Kim and Grant Varner, could not be immediately reached for comment.
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Comments
Yoopergirl (anonymous) says...
Why all the free help for this woman? There shouldn't be a lot of sympathy for someone who watches their kid balloon to 500+ pounds. Assuming that she's his sole caretaker, she is 100% responsible for his condition, and it's child abuse plain and simple. It's not like he's earning a living and shopping for himself. It should have been stopped long before he hit 500 pounds. I don't get it.
If they'll tow her car down the coast for free, why doesn't someone offer to tow her kid to a clinic and pay for some treatment?
June 23, 2009 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bornin43 (anonymous) says...
Yoopergirl's last sentence says it all. If you have money, you can pay for youth sports to keep your child active, or you can send them to "Fat Camp" to help them loose weight. You can even take them to the doctor on a regular basis to help them take the weight off. BUT, if you are poor, these avenues are not open to you. Not all people get fat because they overeat, most have a medical problem that can only be regulated by medical professionals, not the parents.
June 23, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
counterpoint (anonymous) says...
bornin43 - let's see some stats to back up that last statement of yours.
June 23, 2009 at 10:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhatMeWorry (anonymous) says...
bornin43 wrote, "Not all people get fat because they overeat, most have a medical problem that can only be regulated by medical professionals, not the parents."
That statement could not be more wrong. Metabolic causes of obesity are extraordinarily rare.
I agree that this child warrants a comprehensive work-up, however, given his extreme weight.
June 23, 2009 at 10:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasGuy71 (anonymous) says...
It's possible this child may have a legitimate medical condition that is causing his problem. However, the US didn't have a childhood obesity problem back in the 70s when I was growing up. Why not? Well, I would posit that it had something to do with the fact that we didn't have video games, cell phones, etc. and that we spent our time doing things like playing outside. You know, physical activity. We also didn't eat near as much fast food as we do today. Put inactivity and fast food together and you get fat children.
June 23, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lazy2009 (anonymous) says...
They should put the parents of stupid people in jail.
June 23, 2009 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
It don't cost a dime to get outside and walk....
June 23, 2009 at 11:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
Regardless of health condition you don't just get fat without stuffing something in your mouth.
June 23, 2009 at 12:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BetsBabe (anonymous) says...
It's mostly HIS fault he's fat. There could be hoards of food placed in front of me, and I still would stop when I was full and not eat again until I was hungry.
Did anyone see that CSI episode where there was something wrong with an obese man's chemical balance to his brain, that caused him to always feel like he was always hungry? Maybe it could be a medical issue?
June 23, 2009 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhatMeWorry (anonymous) says...
BetsBabe, it is most certainly not his fault. It is his parents' fault. While it is true that a 14-year old can be capable of making decisions for himself, it is almost certain that this child has been obese since early childhood (if not infancy) due to choices his parents made for his diet.
Once (if) he hits adulthood emotionally, then the decision to lose weight becomes his. A child who has been mistreated since infancy and who has no control over what food is purchased or offered cannot be blamed for his weight issue.
I am guessing from your post that you have no children, no medical knowledge, and can barely make it out the front door even when CSI has ended.
June 23, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scwendy (anonymous) says...
BulldogTLC, I agree wholeheartedly.
June 23, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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