Hello, I am short Mark. I am four years old and I live with my mom and dad.

  I am not like the other children I see playing outside my window. I do not have any friends because I no longer go to school.

Everyday mom and dad lock me in my room before they go to work and when their friends come over. 

This makes me sad. Do they care about me?

I think they forget I am here. Some days they forget to feed me, I get hungry and my tummy hurts a lot.

Do they care about me?

CREEK my door opened but it was not my mom. It was her friend Samatha. 

 "Are you okay Mark, you look sick?" She said

"My tummy hurts," I answered.

"Marlan and Lisa, your son is sick! He is hot as fire! I am going to rush him to the clinic using my car." Samantha shouted at my parents.

"Did you take a shower today Mark? Your shirt is very dirty and that stain on your pants looks like it has been there for a while." Samantha stated.

At the clinic, the nurses came around me. They were going to call the police for Samantha but I told them "she is not my mom, she brought me to the clinic because I was sick at home."

They gave me some delicious soup to eat. I was happy.

The doctor sat me on the bed and asked me some questions. I told him the truth.

"You are being neglected," The doctor said.

"You have not eaten in days."

" You have not seen the doctor in the last year."

"You do not attend a school."

"Your clothes is dirty."

"  And your parents lock you away in your room."

"Mark, do you know that you have rights? he asked

" What does that mean? I asked.

The Doctor read me a story and showed me videos on his tablet about all my rights as a child.

He told me when these rights are not being met, I can tell a friend, neighbor, doctor, police, or even a teacher. 

My mom and dad did not care about me because they did not help me to meet my rights as a child.