If life has taught me anything, it is to never say never.

In my nearly 39 years, I've seen a lot of things. In my job. I meet a lot of people in all sorts of situations, many of them not so good. I've talked to people who live in homeless shelters, people in the horrendous grip of methamphetmine addiction, people who have killed others.

When I deal with people in those horrible situations, I think about how they ended up there. When they tell me their stories, I can often visualize the domino effect of how they got to the place they are, and I can clearly see that many of the steps that led them there are ones that I've made in my own life.

There before the grace of God go I, I always think. One different turn, one slightly different decision and any of these people I meet could be me.

One thing I can't imagine is hurting my children. I have an 18-year-old daughter with a fresh mouth and a 7-year-old son who doesn't like to listen, and I've been pretty mad at both of them. But putting my hands on them in anything other than love is outside my realm of consciousness. In this case, I think I can say "never" ... in that I would never purposely hurt my children.

Over the course of my journalistic career, I've done a couple of stories on abused children that have really stuck with me.

The first was in 1997. A couple in northern Indiana where I was working were on the final leg of a long journey toward adopting a little girl ... she was maybe 10, I think ... whom they had been foster parents to for a long time.

The little girl ... her name was Susan, but her family called her "Susie Sunshine" ... was legally blind as a result of shaken baby syndrome. Under the loving care of the people who were adopting her, Susie had become a smart, loving, musically gifted (she played the piano and flute), happy little girl (I kept up with her, and she ended up graduating from high school with many academic and citizenship accolades).

The day I met Susie, I sat next to her as she played the piano. I watched her, and I couldn't believe anyone could ever have been violent with her.

The other story I will never stop thinking about started in March of 2008, a couple of months before I came to the Banner Graphic. I was working the court beat in Montgomery County, and a man was arrested for allegedly beating his 7-week-old daughter.

Just reading the court records made me sick. He admitted to doing it ... she wouldn't stop crying, he said. The report from the investigation described the baby as having the entire side of her head caved in.

I got to know the baby's mother as I covered the case, and I still keep in regular contact with her. Her ex -- the baby's father -- is free on bond. He has been charged with a Class B felony in connection with the baby's assault (punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison), but was allowed free after posting $1,000 bond.

While the man who admits he threw his 10-pound baby daughter against a wall in anger walks free, the baby, who made a miraculous recovery at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, is four months behind in reaching her developmental milestones. She will always have vision problems, possibly have trouble with her hearing, and was recently fitted for leg braces so she may be able to walk properly.

Meanwhile, the baby's father has never gone to trial. His case keeps getting continued. He roams free, goes on with his life, and the baby whose life he altered forever and her mother get no vindication and no closure.

This past week, I started talking to Cari Cox at Putnam County Family Support Services. April is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, and I was curious what programs Putnam County offered to help combat this serious and tragic problem.

Child abuse killed -- KILLED -- 150 children in Indiana last year. How can we be OK with that? How can every one of us not want to do something to help?

I know I do. Hopefully you will, too.

Family Support Services is planning several events in recognition of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Watch the Banner for details, and if you can, come out and show your support for the cause.