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Abused youth has bright future

Escanaba youth who was tortured by his mother and her boyfriend now leading happy life

C.J.

DETROIT — Daily Press readers may recall articles published in 2013 about the boy who was tortured for several years by his mother and her boyfriend in their Escanaba home.

In this unique followup article more than four years later, the horrific story of the child’s past is recalled followed by a heart-warming journey to the young man’s present life which is leading him to a promising future.

Looking back, Escanaba Public Safety found the abused 15-year-old in his home on April 12, 2013 after a relative requested police check on the child’s welfare. The boy had not been in school since he was 8 years old.

The investigation led to the criminal prosecution of the boy’s mother, Susan Marie Bardo, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years to up to 50 years in prison on charges of torture and child abuse dating back to 2007.

Bardo’s boyfriend, Carl James Pellinen, was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to up to 50 years in prison on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual conduct during the same seven-year period.

Courtesy photo C.J. is shown with his father, Curtis, and stepmother, Missy.

Bardo and Pellinen each admitted to abusing the boy by keeping him in an upstairs bedroom lined with tarps, feeding him only one meal a day, and clothing him in just underwear and socks.

According to doctor reports, the child suffered physical harm and severe psychological injuries due to prolonged and extreme abuse. The boy was physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. He was significantly malnourished and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and delusion due to abuse. The child was diagnosed as being developmentally delayed, lacking reasoning skills, and having severe attention deficit disorder.

Today, “C.J.,” which stands for Curtis James, is 19 years old and living with his father and stepmother downstate where he plans to attend college next year.

Following his removal from his Escanaba house in April 2013, C.J. was placed in a family home in Marquette. The following December, he moved downstate to live with his biological father, Curtis, who had married Missy three months earlier in September.

In a telephone interview with the Daily Press, C.J.’s stepmother, Missy, enlightens readers about the struggles the boy went through, his continuous healing process, his personality, and his remarkable achievements.

Missy, a mother of six older children of her own, said C.J.’s coming home to live with his father and her was a “challenge,” noting that it was also a “miracle” seeing the boy progress so much during the past four years.

“For those people who were worried about him (in 2013), I want them to know C.J. is doing well. He is healing. He graduated from high school and plans to go to college,” said Missy.

Missy commended the staff at Teaching Family Homes in Marquette for embracing C.J. and working with him in group and individual therapy after he was removed from his Escanaba residence.

At the Teaching Family Home facility, C.J. lived with a married couple and other children, had his own room, did chores, and attended school on campus.

“They introduced him back into normal society,” Missy explained, noting he had not attended school since the third grade.

Curtis and Missy had visited C.J. in Marquette in May that year.

“It had been 10 years since he had seen his dad. We brought photographs of him when he was five years old with his dad,” she said.

After C.J. came to live with his father and stepmother downstate, the Michigan Alliance of Families suggested the family enroll him at the University Preparatory Academy in Detroit where he began attending school for half days in January 2014.

Missy explained C.J. was able to sit in the classroom and draw pictures. Though he often made noises like tapping on his desk, he was aware of the teaching going on around him, she said.

When the new school year began in September, C.J. attended 10th grade full time with a modified curriculum. He was encouraged to do some school work, the stepmother said, noting he could read very well which helped him to learn.

“The first year, he had a lot of behavioral issues. He had to learn to interact with people and learn to talk decently with people,” said Missy, recalling that C.J. “was angry all the time and full of rage.”

In addition to attending school, he also underwent therapy and attended counseling where he learned coping skills.

“The therapist helped him with other emotions besides rage. He did not know joy or happiness… That took a long time,” the stepmother said.

By the time he attended 11th grade, C.J.’s behavior had calmed down.

“He was accountable for the work he was assigned, not what he wanted to do,” commented Missy.

C.J. earned a Certificate of Completion which proved he could do school work which meant he had to try to earn a high school diploma. Because he had to make up some ninth grade classes, he attended summer school. Following completion of his senior year this past June, he graduated in his class of about 300 students.

His teachers and family complimented him for his achievements in school, including passing his classes but also learning how to socialize with others.

“We knew the amount of effort and work it took for him to do things,” said Missy, noting he hadn’t had a physical fight in school for three years.

“The therapist gave him coping skills to deal with different situations,” the stepmother proudly said, recalling how C.J. even ran for homecoming prince and homecoming king.

The family was even more proud of C.J. when he was awarded $500 from the National Exchange Club which selects a junior or senior from Detroit working with Michigan Rehabilitation Services who has overcome tremendous obstacles, explained Missy who nominated her stepson for the award.

In addition to the abuse and neglect he suffered in his past, C.J. was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and Asperger’s Syndrome also known as autism, she said.

The local award made him eligible for a $1,000 state award which he received which made him eligible for a $10,000 national award which he was also awarded.

C.J.’s successes to date are a combination of his own determination to do what he’s supposed to do and the support he’s received from other’s including his family, a close special needs friend, and his church community, said Missy.

She also noted her job working to help children in need be reunited with their families or adopted has tremendously helped her and C.J.’s father understand C.J.’s behavior and help him to cope, heal and make progress in his life.

“He is the most giving, thoughtful, polite individual ever. He helps others. He’s caring… He realizes he’s a little different but he doesn’t let that deter him. He reaches out to people,” commented Missy.

“We are very optimistic about his future,” she stated.

In February, C.J. plans to attend the Michigan Career and Technical Institute, an educational center for adults with disabilities seeking job opportunities.

Missy and Curtis are hopeful C.J. can work with Michigan Rehabilitation Services to acquire independent living skills that will enable him to share an apartment with a roommate after he obtains a job.

He does not have the skills to live on his own yet and he is not driving, said Missy.

“His judgment and perception are compromised by his distraction,” she explained.

“He’s a hard worker,” the stepmother said, noting how C.J. loved to clean up the community during a church project.

C.J. also loves to swim and play video games and keep busy, she said, noting he has to have a stress ball in his hands.

In regards to dealing with the trauma in his past, Missy said C.J. believes his mother’s boyfriend — who brainwashed him — did no wrong; C.J. believes what Carl said was the truth.

“We tell him the correct information by educating C.J., not criticizing,” she explained.

C.J. feels rage against his mother but has forgiven her, the stepmother added. Though he has not forgotten what happened, he would like to see his mother in the future, said Missy, noting he’s of age to make that decision.

“For the most part, he seems to have adjusted well… He’s extremely resilient and has done a tremendous job with healing,” she stated.

“I believe it takes a village to raise a child. The school, his therapist, and everyone working together have made a difference in C.J.’s life,” Missy said, looking back when C.J. came to live with them.

“I was very worried,” she recalled. “We did not know what we were dealing with. We had to look at what’s causing his behavior and help him work it out. Sometimes he needed an outlet and had to punch a pillow.”

Despite the challenge, Missy said she thinks the family has grown together.

“We were all very happy and impressed with his progress… It was a miracle seeing C.J.’s progress,” she said, adding that children are very resilient.

“We really think he’s going to be okay. He still has a lot of hurdles to go through. He’s made up his mind that he’s going to be positive.”

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