Zemmie’s Rescue
A Story of Hope for 5 Orphans By Zemmie Fleck
THANK YOU to all the amazing and wonderful people in communities across Georgia who have served and loved orphaned or abandoned children by adoption, foster care, or by supporting other involved parents. When I was 13 years old, my Daddy told me this story.
In November of ’64, a little girl became the newest addition to a family in midtown Atlanta. She had two brothers and two sisters – ranging in age from 4 to 14 years. Her oldest brother and sister, invited by school friends, would frequently attend the First Alliance Church. Her father was habitually absent as he struggled with alcohol abuse, periodically demonstrating a violent temper. Her mother, who was quite a bit younger than her father, was cast upon hard times trying to raise a family. None of these children knew what lay ahead for them in the next four months. 8
Several months prior to the little girl’s birth, her mother suffered an injury to her leg that turned gangrenous. She grew increasingly ill and was unable to afford even one visit to the doctor. The children would often be very hungry and lack ability to concentrate in school due to their inadequate diets. In March 1965, the children’s mother died of tetanus that had turned into lockjaw. Sadly, their father was unable to sufficiently provide and care for the children, and took his leave again. For two days after her mother’s death, the fourmonth-old girl’s welfare was in the hands of her older siblings and a family friend. They were alone, abandoned, and unable to comprehend what was happening to them. There were some relatives who lived far away, but they didn’t seem to have
