x
Breaking News
More () »

'I did the same thing she did' | Mom speaks on abandoning her son with special needs at the hospital

She said she left him there for seven months, because she didn't know what to do.

ATLANTA — "I did the same thing she did some years ago." 

In an extraordinary show of motherly solidarity, a group of moms showed up at court on Thursday to support Diana Elliot. Elliot, the mother of a child with special needs, was charged with child cruelty for leaving her son at Grady Hospital last week.

One mom, Carla Griffin, said she feels for Elliot, because she knows the stress and difficulty it takes to raise a child with special needs. She too left her kid with special needs somewhere more than 10 years ago.

"I did, I abandoned my son in the hospital for seven months." 

Griffin said in the parental special needs community, there are suggestions from social workers and others to take the child to the emergency room. She said the waitlist for help is "miles-long" and sometimes a parent of a special needs child "just runs out of strategy." 

Griffin said her son was 17 when she left him at the hospital. 

RELATED: Moms show up at court to support 'overwhelmed' mom who left son with Down syndrome at hospital

"People stop answering the phones. There are no other choices. They do the best thing their hearts [can] do -- without jumping off a ledge," Griffin said. 

Griffin said her son is now 29 and she is still continuing to fight. 

"This mom has kids and it's a kid conversation she's having...after age 21, she'll be having an adult conversation and it doesn't change. The fight continues," she went on to describe. 

Elliot told police she was "overwhelmed" living out of a hotel and taking care of her three other children along with the 14-year-old with special needs. That was her reality when she decided to leave him at Grady.

RELATED: Down Syndrome parent community stands behind woman who left child at Grady

Griffin said she did not end up incarcerated since resources presented themselves, but acknowledges it was a different time. However, she doesn't plan on giving up on her. Griffin even opened her home to Elliot -- volunteering the let the mom come to her home. 

"She can't just go to the streets...she needs help," Griffin stated.

"We're not going to stop. Her attorney is doing a good job. These are angels that showed up to support her. 

Elliot was granted a signature bond - essentially releasing her for free until her next court date.

RELATED: Teen abandoned at Grady Hospital is identified

OTHER STORIES: 

'Diving in Lake Lanier probably is one of the most dangerous things I’ve done'

He ate a cupcake, so they used a bat to beat him to death, police say

'Evil personified' | 'Best friend' charged in missing college student's murder

Before You Leave, Check This Out