Local law enforcement officers carry the Children’s Memorial Flag as part of a ceremony held Friday outside the Holmes Shaver Judicial Annex to commemorate Children’s Memorial Flag Day as part of Child Abuse Awareness Month. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — A gathering in Parkersburg wanted to bring awareness to child abuse and prevention measures during Children’s Memorial Flag Day on Friday.

Over 100 people gathered around the fountain outside the Holmes Shaver Judicial Annex to commemorate Children’s Memorial Flag Day as part of Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Shannon Elkins, Social Services Manager for the Wood County office for the West Virginia Department of Human Services, said in 2024 there were 1,248 child abuse investigations in Wood County,

Skylar Bonnett, an eighth-grader at Edison Middle School, talked about the Children’s Memorial Flag.

“Each year on the fourth Friday in April, communities across the United States raise the Children’s Memorial Flag honoring each lost child and raising public awareness about the continuing problem of violence against children,” she said.

Skylar Bonnett, an eighth-grader at Edison Middle School, talks about the meaning behind the Children’s Memorial Flag during a ceremony Friday in downtown Parkersburg as part of Child Abuse Awareness Month. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

The flag is red with blue paper doll-like cutouts holding hands with just a red outline of a figure in the middle to symbolize a child who is no longer here, Bonnett said.

Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board read a proclamation from Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce declaring Friday, April 25, as Children’s Memorial Flag Day in the memory of the children lost to child abuse, neglect, suicide, homicide and accidents.

“Every child has the right to feel safe in a loving environment and a home free from danger,” he read. “The effects of child abuse and neglect are felt by the entire community and must be addressed.”

Communities will be commemorating the day to promote awareness of the “senseless loss of our most precious assets,” Board read.

“The (Children’s Memorial) flag has become a recognizable symbol of the need to do a better job of protecting children,” he added.

Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board reads a proclamation from the City of Parkersburg declaring Friday, April 25, as Children’s Memorial Flag Day in the memory of the children lost to child abuse, neglect, suicide, homicide and accidents. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Retired Parkersburg Police Officer Greg Nangle talked about working child abuse cases and commended the police officers, victim advocates and child protective service workers.

“You have quite possibly the most difficult job in this valley,” he said of how difficult it can be and how the people who work those cases have his respect. “You are the front-line defenders of innocent children.”

He offered a prayer for those people “who defend the innocent” by working these cases and acknowledging how hard it can be and allow people who know about abuse to come forward so those children can be helped.

Sarah Furguson, the mother of a young girl names Paisley, talked about how her daughter became the victim of child abuse at the age of 3½- through the actions of the girl’s father.

It was at this point where she learned the meaning of the phrase “non-accidental trauma.”

Sarah Furguson talks about the abuse her daughter suffered at the hand of the child’s father, resulting in extensive surgeries and more as she continues to recover over two years later during a ceremony Friday during Children’s Memorial Flag Day in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“The shock of knowing that this was intentional and that she was abused left me in shock,” Furguson said.

She talked about her daughter going through extensive surgery as she had three brain bleeds, her brain shifted in her head and had to have a piece of her skull removed as a result of swelling. The girl also suffered a compression fracture in her spine.

“On April 14, 2023, my life and the life of my sweet Paisley was forever altered,” Ferguson said. “She was not abused by a stranger, but a person who was supposed to love and care for her.

“The emotional impact of this will go long past the physical injuries.”

Her daughter continues to have numerous medical appointments as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy, a special needs classroom environment, special tools and “an intense amount of patience.”

Over 100 people gathered around the fountain outside the Holmes Shaver Judicial Annex to commemorate Children’s Memorial Flag Day as part of Child Abuse Awareness Month. Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Russ Skogstad, who has worked many abuse cases, said “thank you” to area law enforcement and social workers who work these cases to protect children in the community. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Furguson talked about the accomplishments her daughter has made in walking and talking when she was initially told that wouldn’t happen.

“She is enjoying being a kid again, enjoying slides and bubbles,” Furguson said.

She credited law enforcement, child protective services and the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office with being there for her at the scariest point in her life. Their actions resulted in a criminal conviction.

Furguson said she accepted a plea deal to protect the child from additional trauma.

She understands the importance of reporting child abuse.

“It all starts with one phone call,” Furguson said.

Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Russ Skogstad, who has worked many abuse cases, said “thank you” to area law enforcement for being the front line working to keep kids safe as well as West Virginia Bureau of Social Services and the Child Protective Service workers who work with cases as well as his fellow prosecutors and others.

“What you do changes lives in ways that can’t even be measured,” he said. “Although it may not always feel like it, we are making a difference.”

Abuse can cover physical abuse, sexual abuse and grooming, Elkins said.

“It is a painful reality that affects too many children in our community,” she said. “It is a problem that demands our collective response.

“Preventing child abuse starts with creating safe nurturing environments where children can grow and thrive.”

A number of awards were presented to people who work to help abused children. Each person was praised for their commitment to the work they do to protect children. The Community Member Award was given to Candace Gabriel of the North Star Child Advocacy Center. The Law Enforcement Officer Award was given to Detective Ryan Black of the Vienna Police Department. The Employee Award was given to Tabetha McClung of the West Virginia Department of Human Services.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com