S9.E04: WATN David & Syretta

[CrazyInAlabama]

New, 5/22/2024

After getting his surgery canceled and living in his van by the beach, surgery may be the break David has been waiting for his whole life; Syreeta suffers a devastating personal tragedy that only strengthens her desire to become a mother.

 

David – S10.E15 (At least I think that’s the right person.  He was in foster care until he aged out.  He was scheduled for surgery, but at the hospital as part of the admit process he was weighted and had gained 38 lbs. so surgery was cancelled.  He lived with a former foster parent Robin).   This is not David of Benji and David.

Syreeta – S11.E04   (She’s the adorable poundticipant who walked up a long hill, and rolled down). 

 

(I'm guessing Syreeta is the star, and David isn't).   

[libgirl2]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

New, 5/22/2024

After getting his surgery canceled and living in his van by the beach, surgery may be the break David has been waiting for his whole life; Syreeta suffers a devastating personal tragedy that only strengthens her desire to become a mother.

 

David – S10.E15 (At least I think that’s the right person.  He was in foster care until he aged out.  He was scheduled for surgery, but at the hospital as part of the admit process he was weighted and had gained 38 lbs. so surgery was cancelled.  He lived with a former foster parent Robin).   This is not David of Benji and David.

Syreeta – S11.E04   (She’s the adorable poundticipant who walked up a long hill, and rolled down). 

 

(I'm guessing Syreeta is the star, and David isn't).   

I seem to remember David at the hospital getting prepped for surgery and NOPE! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

This was filmed a year after David's original episode. He started at 763 lbs. David was approved for surgery, showed up at the hospital with a 38 lb gain, and surgery was cancelled.  Then he wants to get approved again. 

Those giant chairs in the office waiting room certainly are rugged.   

Syreeta is from Columbus, OH.  She's mobile, and I love that, plus she's one of the few that received the memo about wearing a bra.    She started at 603 lbs.  I love when she's going up the steep hill, and then rolls down just for fun.   She didn't start off to well, but she got back on track. 

Both of them grew up in foster care. 

David qualifies again, and then has a pre-surgery weigh in. He gains 21 lbs. and Dr. Now goes off on him.  

1 year 2 months Syreeta is pregnant.  

David is now living in his van by the beach.   He's still living in the van, and Dr. Now is worried about how David can cope with some helpers still living in the van.  David has one last chance, 30 lbs. in 3 months or he's out of the program. 

Why is Syreeta going to Florida for treatment?   MD Anderson is right in Houston.    She's leaving the program for now, but is cheating.     

David 1 year & 5 months, still in a van by the beach.  He's sitting sideways to drive.     

Syreeta moved to Largo Fl to see a specialist in high-risk pregnancies, but had a stillbirth.  I'm devastated for her.   She's depressed, and not taking care of herself. 

David is still at the beach.  1 year 7 months, pre surgery, and he made the weight, and will get surgery.   Foster mother Robin is back. 

Syreeta is back to Dr. Now's.   I'm hoping she's back on track.   She was down to 500, but 533 now.   She wants to try to get healthy again, and I hope she does. 

David 1 year 8 months, Robin is taking care of him for now after his surgery.

1 year 11 months Syreeta, working out.  She has a good attitude, and I hope she reaches her goals to get healthy, and to be a mom.  Dr. Paradise is so kind to Syreeta, and so was Dr. Now.   I know she can reach her goal.  

David 2 years, he's working out at an indoor pool.  He's also playing basketball.   

 

Edited May 23 by CrazyInAlabama

[SDVegas]

I want Dr Paradise to be my therapist. Best therapist ever. 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, SDVegas said:

I want Dr Paradise to be my therapist. Best therapist ever. 

He was wonderful. 

[Chatty Cake]

Syreeta may have been mobile but the poor woman looked like a hippo rolling down the hill. I can’t believe she was trying to have a baby. Neither her nor her husband seemed capable of caring for themselves let alone a baby. I did feel bad for her. She seemed like a sweet person with a horrible past.

Was David on drugs? I got the feeling that he and that friend on the beach were using.

[EtheltoTillie]

I am having trouble watching these episodes and I’m tuning out quickly. I don’t remember them from their first appearance and can’t figure out what is going on. Are they all previous failures getting a second chance?  

[SDVegas]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I am having trouble watching these episodes and I’m tuning out quickly. I don’t remember them from their first appearance and can’t figure out what is going on. Are they all previous failures getting a second chance?  

No, they’re just following these people in their second year.

The first season of the show followed people for a longer period of time (5 years maybe?), and they were able to show more progress that way. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Supersized edition of David and Syreeta is on.      

David's from Idaho Falls, Idaho.   I missed that before.  I still can't believe David started at 763 lbs.  David can say he was unjustly kicked out by the Nelsons (and that foster parents were planning to adopt him), but that party he threw when the parents were out of town sounds horrible.   A 10 day booze, and drug binge for him and at least 100 kids would be a deal breaker for me.   

He's lucky the Nelsons didn't prosecute.  David said that the adoption process wasn't finalized, but he had lived with them for years, so I doubt they were going to adopt him.   I doubt that party was the only time he went wrong either.    I'm sure the parents didn't intend to be gone for 10 days, but the grandmother was dying, and that doesn't always happen on a schedule.   The parents must have had someone overseeing the kids when they were out of town, so I'm wondering what their side is.    

I know Syreeta doesn't do the diet all of the time, but I love her attitude.  She admits what she eats, and everything else to Dr. Now.  

Edited May 24 by CrazyInAlabama

[Elizzikra]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

 

David's from Idaho Falls, Idaho.   I missed that before.  I still can't believe David started at 763 lbs.  David can say he was unjustly kicked out by the Nelsons (fosters and were planning to adopt him), but that party he threw when the parents were out of town sounds horrible.   A 10 day booze, and drug binge for him and at least 100 kids would be a deal breaker for me.   He's lucky the Nelsons didn't prosecute.  

I know Syreeta doesn't do the diet all of the time, but I love her attitude.  She admits what she eats, and everything else to Dr. Now.  

Regarding David - if his parents adopted him, I don’t agree with them throwing him out, regardless of how huge that party was. It’s entirely possible that there is a lot more to the story, with this being the last of a long series of issues related to substance use. In that case, I understand parents employing something of a tough love approach to get their kids on the straight and narrow. But when you adopt a child, that child is to be treated as you would treat a biological child. How many parents would completely wash their hands of a bio kid at age 17 for one party (granted it sounds like quite the bender)? How many bio parents would prosecute their kid for such a party and/or think that the kid should be grateful that they didn’t? I question how committed those parents really were to David in the first place and whether they really took him in as their son, or if they just went through the legal motions to adopt him. I also wonder about parents who leave a 17 year old home alone for ten days. Really - what do you expect to have happen? I was.a good kid and there is no way my parents would have left teenaged me home alone for a long weekend, much less ten days.

I like Syreeta too. She has been through a hell of a lot in her life but damn - she just keeps going. A stillbirth at six months is horrible; she would basically have had to go through labor and delivery, knowing that the child would die at birth. I can’t even imagine. 

I do think that David and Syreeta are really good illustrations about some issues in foster care. Both had pretty bad experiences in foster care. I’m familiar with the work that a lot of foster alumni organizations do and I hadn’t realized that David was involved in that in Idaho. I hope he is still connected to that group as foster care alumni groups can really be anchors and good resources for young adults/adults who age out of care (or like David, who didn’t formally age out of care, but whose adoptions really didn’t provide them with the permanent families they were intended to provide). 

I hope they both are doing well and making progress toward their goals.

[libgirl2]

13 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

Regarding David - if his parents adopted him, I don’t agree with them throwing him out, regardless of how huge that party was. It’s entirely possible that there is a lot more to the story, with this being the last of a long series of issues related to substance use. In that case, I understand parents employing something of a tough love approach to get their kids on the straight and narrow. But when you adopt a child, that child is to be treated as you would treat a biological child. How many parents would completely wash their hands of a bio kid at age 17 for one party (granted it sounds like quite the bender)? How many bio parents would prosecute their kid for such a party and/or think that the kid should be grateful that they didn’t? I question how committed those parents really were to David in the first place and whether they really took him in as their son, or if they just went through the legal motions to adopt him. I also wonder about parents who leave a 17 year old home alone for ten days. Really - what do you expect to have happen? I was.a good kid and there is no way my parents would have left teenaged me home alone for a long weekend, much less ten days.

I like Syreeta too. She has been through a hell of a lot in her life but damn - she just keeps going. A stillbirth at six months is horrible; she would basically have had to go through labor and delivery, knowing that the child would die at birth. I can’t even imagine. 

I do think that David and Syreeta are really good illustrations about some issues in foster care. Both had pretty bad experiences in foster care. I’m familiar with the work that a lot of foster alumni organizations do and I hadn’t realized that David was involved in that in Idaho. I hope he is still connected to that group as foster care alumni groups can really be anchors and good resources for young adults/adults who age out of care (or like David, who didn’t formally age out of care, but whose adoptions really didn’t provide them with the permanent families they were intended to provide). 

I hope they both are doing well and making progress toward their goals.

Look how many people adopt pets and decide they just don't want them anymore. And while I'm not equating a human with a pet, neither is returnable. 

Interestingly, my SIL, who is a bit of a fruitcake, adopted a teenage girl. She was all excited posting on SM with them celebrating etc... my MIL speaking glowingly of her new "granddaughter". After about a year, no mention of her. We asked my BIL and was told "she returned her".  We saw it coming and was surprised it lasted as long as it did. 

[Elizzikra]

26 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Look how many people adopt pets and decide they just don't want them anymore. And while I'm not equating a human with a pet, neither is returnable. 

Interestingly, my SIL, who is a bit of a fruitcake, adopted a teenage girl. She was all excited posting on SM with them celebrating etc... my MIL speaking glowingly of her new "granddaughter". After about a year, no mention of her. We asked my BIL and was told "she returned her".  We saw it coming and was surprised it lasted as long as it did. 

Adoption disruption/dissolution does happen and sometimes it's for the best, but the prevailing thinking in child welfare is that it shouldn't happen and if we properly screened and trained everyone involved and then provided ongoing, appropriate support post-adoption, it would happen a lot less. 

Something else that I heard a lot from former foster youth is that sometimes they were adopted and everyone considered the case closed, with a good outcome. But though the adoption was legal, and sometimes everyone sort of nominally got along, it wasn't really the supportive parent/child relationship that the kid needs going into young adulthood. A surprising number of them really felt that they were pushed out at 18 - like not just expected to leave the family home and make their way on their own, but not really expected to return home to celebrate holidays or feel as though they had a parent they could turn to for the kinds of things young adults ask their parents about as a regular part of growing up (how do I open a bank account? What do I do if I'm not getting along with my roommate? My significant other broke up with me, can I come home for some TLC?). It's quite sad, honestly, how abandoned a lot of these kids are even when officially they were adopted to a "permanent" family.