Oh, Susan, this is a harsh reality and no easy answers. I liked how you wrote this, and in the case of a very sick young man and parents who no doubt thought they were doing well - have arrived at a place that sounds like it will end very messy. My heart broke when you said Lydia misses her mom and the relationship she could have had, had her mom been available. It's all so sad. Steven needs special care and yes, now that he's so much older - it will be difficult for him to adjust. But I feel he eventually will. Sadly, Joyce has served her entire life taking care of him; he never became independent, and her other children missed out on her. I wonder - could she have been suffering other abuses and no one is even aware of it?

thanks for sharing the update with us...I know I was wondering how this was all going to end. Wishing Lydia and her siblings all the best...