A three-year-old girl named Tesslynn O'Cull
left this world on June 14th, 1997,
without a word of comfort or a loving hug.
Her mother and her mother's boyfriend
have been convicted of her murder.

I cannot say that I even knew of Tess
while she was alive.
But it is my understanding
that she did have a loving father
who was unable to achieve custody of her
in time to prevent this tragedy.
I also know that Tess---
simply by virtue of being a three-year-old---
was deserving of much more
than she received in her brief life.
She should have been able to play games,
to laugh,
to enjoy life with the carefree attitude
that every child is born with.

And so, in memory of little Tesslynn O'Cull,
I make this addition to my web page.
I hope that in reading it,
many people will become aware
of the growing problem of child abuse in our society
and become willing to help stop it
by reporting any suspicions that they might have,
so that no more children will have to die needlessly
in the way that Tess did.

Below is an anti-abuse poster,
in which Tesslynn is shown:

I feel that to some people,
things are not real to them until they see them.
Tesslynn was a real child.
I have this poster on my door to remind me daily
that it is my problem, as well as all of ours.
Remember that.
Remember her.

Had she been allowed to grow up,
Tesslynn O'Cull could have become
a very important piece in the world puzzle.

Let's not let another piece get lost
in such a horrible, preventable way.

Goodnight, little Tess.

Rest in peace.

Created July 4th, 1997.

Amended October 19th, 2003.

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