Few of us can fathom the idea of extreme child abuse. What really goes on behind closed doors? How can a parent (or authority figure) to an innocent child commit such atrocities? Weren’t they children once themselves? What on Earth could have gone wrong with them, and where does it reach the point of no return… the place where these horrific thoughts become things? When poor innocent children pay the price, sometimes the ultimate price, for the authority figure’s actions?
The term “child abuse” tends to conjure imagery of beatings, broken bones, black eyes. The old “I’ll give you something to cry about” routine. Emotional abuse, emotionally unavailable parents. These kinds of things. We rarely think of, our minds can hardly go to, things like children starved in a basement. And yet this kind of extreme child abuse does happen. It certainly happened at the hands of one drug addicted mother known as Charlene Wise. Convicted of 3rd degree murder in the brutal starvation death of her own daughter Charnae, Charlene is currently serving 28 to 56 years in prison. (1)
Charnae Wise – Starved To Death By Her Own Mother
Charnae was born into unfortunate circumstances, to say the least. Even on the very day of her birth, as her mother’s water broke, the idea was floated to buy more crack. With a drug-addicted mother, she had no real hope in life. The sixth child of Charlene Wise, her short life was slowly, mercilessly, snuffed out as she starved to death in the basement of her own home.
Charnae was a victim of her own mother and of a cruel, faulty system… a world that would fail her from start to finish of her short life. Except for her brother Dante; he’d be there until the end with her. He would, in fact, be the only person with her in her last moments, locked together in Charlene’s basement, in their own little private nightmare.
But her death would not be in vain. Charnae’s case would be made very high profile, and in the ensuing years, her mother would face justice. Her memory would be honored in the Charnae Wise Memorial Garden, and Dante would slowly begin to move on. (2)
Dante – On His Own Two Feet
Known now as Dante Hailey, in October 2019 he once again found himself on the minds and hearts of the Philadelphia community, as a mural in Charnae’s Memorial Garden was refurbished and re-dedicated. No one can know the story of Charnae and not think of Dante and the horrors he faced too, so it’s wonderful that he’s come forward to let us know he’s alright. With the recent re-dedication of his sister’s mural, he’s been vocal about keeping on the sunny side of life.
Though he had an awful start, and has seen his own share of struggles since he was removed from Charlene’s home and placed in foster care, he says he still loves and forgives his mother. “I’m at a new chapter in my life,” he said. “Everything right now for me is going up and it’s a good thing. This is what I wanted from the start,” Hailey said. (3)
In 1997, the year his sister Charnae died, Dante was just 7 years old. Some of his most formative years were spent in horrific conditions that no one should have to face. And yet, he has somehow persevered. Nearing his 30th birthday, he’s able to say that he’s got things how he’d always wanted them. With the simple life he’s built for himself, he’s found everything he ever wanted, even the space in his heart for a monumental amount of forgiveness. We should all be so lucky.
