Michelle,

That Doug sounds like a smart man, to recognize the potential in you and that you are worth saving. I hope that you listen to him.

It sounds like your parents didn't know how to love you. That is a fault with them, not you. You deserve to be loved. You have so much to give back to society. Your talent as a writer is incredible, and you have a message to give that will make the world a better place, as it increaces society's capacity to understand and to have compassion. What you will give to society is worth much more than whatever resources you consume. We all consume resources, but unlike you, some people don't even care about giving anything back. You do. Maybe your medical and psychological difficulties will affect you for all of your life, but you do not have to let them control your life. I don't know what you did when you were seven years old that you think is so horrible, but you were a child then and not even accountable yet for your actions. When have you heard of the death penalty being considered appropriate for seven-year-olds? Compare what you did as a child to the kind of crimes for which the death penalty is considered. Nowhere close! Canada doesn't even have the death penalty anyway, so why should you think that you ought to be put to death?

You are a valuable person, and people do care about you. I know it's hard to remember that, but please try.

<font color=orange>"If we are going to insist that people pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, we must ensure that they have boots."</font color=orange>