How Is 14-Year-Old Girl Recovering Now After Being Rescued From Severe Abuse and Malnutrition Weighing 35 lbs.? By Nicole Acosta

Loved ones are opening up about the recovery of a 14-year-old girl who authorities claim was found severely malnourished — saying in an online fundraiser that she’s now “looking forward to a brighter future.”

The teenager weighed 35 lbs. when authorities found her in August after responding to her father and stepmother’s home in Oneida, Wisc. Her father reportedly called 911 to report that the girl was very lethargic and weak, FOX 11 reported, citing court documents.

She was severely malnourished with respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe acute hepatitis and pancreatitis. A first responder also believed the girl was only around 6 or 7 years old due to her size, the documents stated, per the outlet. The girl, whose name has not been made public, was subsequently hospitalized.

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In GoFundMe campaign, loved ones wrote that the child has since made “tremendous progress.”

“In just a few months, she has grown 3 inches and doubled her body weight,” the fundraiser reads. “Her body, which had been deprived of nourishment for far too long, is beginning to heal. She has gained muscle mass and is gradually regaining the strength lost to years of [alleged] neglect.”

“Beyond the physical recovery, she is also working on the basics of self-care — things many of us do without thinking, like bathing, brushing her teeth, and caring for her hair,” loved ones said, adding that “each day she grows more independent.”

As part of the investigation, the girl’s father, Walter Goodman, 47, his wife Melissa Goodman, her daughter, Savanna Lefever, 29, and LeFever’s partner, Kayla Stemler, 27, were arrested.

The suspects were all charged on three felony counts of chronic neglect of a child, with consequence being great bodily harm and two felony counts of chronic neglect of a child, with consequence being emotional damage, according to charging documents viewed by PEOPLE.

Outagamie County Assistant District Attorney Julie DuQuaine alleged the girl “was neglected for a number of years,” per FOX 11. “She has not gone to the doctor since September 2020. She has not been in school since COVID.”

A witness claimed Walter said, “Well, I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that’s where she stays,” WISN reported.

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While the girl was hospitalized, she claimed to medical staff that her father “doesn’t like when I eat that much” after she was told that she would receive three meals a day, per the criminal complaint. Staff reported that the girl’s “eyes lit up” when she was informed about the meal schedule.

Authorities claim Stemler and Melissa were aware of the alleged abuse, citing text messages allegedly sent between the two. In one message, Melissa wrote, “Its hard tbh and some days I don’t want to anymore and wish she’d just go away,” the complaint alleges.

It’s unclear if the suspects have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf. FOX 11 reported they face more than 80 years in prison.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.