1,384 Comments for Gaebler Children's Center

John, yes Danny was my boyfriend, he was such a cutie with his blond curly hair, but, he was always getting restrained and I felt so bad, he wasn't treated well there at all. I left before he did and I felt bad to leave him behind and things only got worse for him, he almost died at the hands of Harvey, I will tell him you said hi....Yes some of us were really lucky and came out of there and made a better life for ourselves and some of us just couldn't shake the place and have never been the same....makes me sad....I met the bestfriends there, I will never have friends like I had there....we are all connected for life.....

John, I soooooo remember Anthony, he was a cool kid, he dressed so cool too. Mike had the cool brown feather back shoulder lenght hair and as for Danny I talk to him everyday and saw him a few times in the past couple years. Kim C was my roomate, she was so in love with Justin from the Moody Blues and always carried around their record album. I have tried to turn something good out of something bad, if I didn't then my life would be screwed up.....

Patrick, I am so glad that you are doing so well, I don't know if we brought it on ourselves, I mean we were locked up and some of the staff were really mean, like Jack,Harvey,Joanna and Melanie....Willie and Suzanne were the cool ones....Glad you are successful and own your own business, and I agree about taking what we went thru and turning it into something good. I think socierty didn't know wwhat to do with us and neither did our parents so it was just easier to give us up to the state. We should have a get together, the building is gone now but, it will never be forgotten and I met the best of friends there and will never forget anyone....I will keep in touch...

Tell Danny I said Hi.

And that Danny was your boyfriend when you was there?
So many memories....
It is nice that we have a place to share our thoughts and meet people who was there.
All of us have that special bond that only we can relate too.
I remember you and I am thankful that most of us came out of that place better people then those who worked there.

Michelle, one of the boys in the 2nd room by the bathroom was me.
Like I said I only remember Mike, Anthony and Danny was in the 1st boys room.
I must know Patrick as he was in the same room as me.
Hey Patrick remember me, the red headed kid who was dating Kim C. Had pictures of Pac man and Mrs.Pac man on the wall?
Good to see that you have turned that experience into something positive instead of a negative.

Pookie
Don't excuse anything. There sick ass fucks

Yes it is me michelle LOL !!! It has been a long time!!!!!! Im doing really good ! I own my own house and im doing general contracting as a buisness owner. I have 12 people that are currently employed and have a nice contract going through the winter building log cabins. I do look back from time to time and wonder why things happen the way they did but i also remember that 90% of it i brought it upon myself as wild as i was , we were just angry kids thats all it was and we were searching for stability. Keep intouch girl . Im glad you finally remember me !!! LOL !!! We all didnt turn out bad , in fact some of us turned out to be successful!!! LIFE IS GOOD !!!!! I would like to get intouch with a few people just to say hi and see how everybody is doing . Im sure in time that will happen. Like i said before and i will say it again , we wernt bad kids , we were just reaching out and some of us went about it the wrong way . We should always forgive but never forget, Peace to all of you that went through this ordeal . Till this day we are still in this together !

Pookie
I like hearing all the good and bad. I love reading peoples posts

John,
Yes you are right about Danny's feet, he was so scared to go in that locked shower room, I don't blame him, I was scared too...he is much better now, I talk to him all the time......

Alumni,
I am for sure positive that he did moleste the kids there and so did some of the staff members, sick ass fuckers, excuse the language...

Patrick,
I don't ever remember the plastic retraining bags, and Danny was always getting secluded,and beaten up by the staff members,he actually almost died at the hands of Harvey, it was horrible, I left there and he was still there and that is when he hooked up with Sandy W, she was my bestfriend along with Tricia G, I have been trying to find both of them and I can't, I talk to Sean M ever now and then, he is doing great, Danny is doing well, for all he went thru there I am surpised that he is as good as he is, Tricia and I were also at St Germaine Lawrence School together in Arlington,Ma...Alan was a cool kid, he had brown thick shoulder lenght wavy hair with a small mustache, Sean had the red short hair, Sandy was beautiful, think she was chinese and white, my roomates were Kim C, Maria, a crazy girl and I forget the 4th one, my room was the first gir's room and my bed was the first one on the left hand side.....Renee was my cousin on Ward E, Alex who was on ward E, used to go with Sandy, I was the girl with the big boom box that we used to hang in the halls or tv room and listen to music, the shower room was a 1 stall at the time, it was scary, I hated Harvey,Joanna,Jack, Melody and a couple others, But, loved Wilie and Suzanne...the activities room was great with the Atari and record player, we used to play dodge after school in the gym on my floor around 4pm before dinner. we took nature trail walks to Rocky Meadow and played on the swing set...I met the best of friends there, I hated that place,but, so grateful for the friends I made and I still talk to some of them and even seen a few of them....Karen was on ward E, and she went with Sean M on my ward, I hung around with her for years after we both got out, but,somehow lost touch with her and can't find her. the building is now gone, but, the memories of the hellish place will live on in me forever and I am sure every child who went there, they had a lot of law suits against them and that is why they closed, they say that's not the reason but, it is, they closed in Jan of 1992. After I left I went back there a few times to visit my friends and to go to the Christmas party. They changed how the bathrooms and shower rooms were, instead of it being a 1 stall shower room and locked door, they turned it into a 3 shower room stall and put doors on the bathroom stalls...a lot of sexual abuse went on in there, I remember Sharon who was on my Ward and all the male staff members wanted her and it was said that she was having sex with Jack, so I don't know if he was raping her but, in that place you never know. Anyway, I could go on and on, but, I am sure no one wants to rehash the horribleness....

Partick,
wow, Patrick, I know you, you were on my ward, I was Michelle and used to go out with Danny, I was on Ward D, around the same time you were there....I believe you shared a room with Alan and I can't remember the other 2 boys in the room with you, I think Anthony was one, and Mike was another, but, not sure, Danny, Sean and 2 otheres were in the boys 1st room on the right had side, the boys 2nd room was next to the boys bathroom....I remember the staff, Harvey, such an asshole, Melody with the hook hand, Joanna who had a huge wart on her face,Jack, who was so tall and big and was mean to us kids, Willie and Suzanne, they were the nice ones, my boyfriend was always getting locked down, the place was awful....I hope you are doing well in your life and that everything is going well for you as well...

Alumni
yes for sure

Can anyone on this board confirm that heathwood may have been molesting kids at this facility?