After he suffered unimaginable abuse, a group of strangers are making sure that a recuperating 3-year-old boy has something to look forward to this Christmas.
James Nicholson was recently released from the hospital after his mother’s boyfriend, Roland Dow, allegedly beat James so severely that the Plaistow, N.H., boy went temporarily blind, Exeter Patch reports. Dow has been indicted on assault charges and faces up to 30 years in prison, and James’ mother, Jessica Linscott, was charged with several counts of misdemeanor-level child endangerment.
As James recovers at his grandmother’s house from the brain injuries, bruises and burns he suffered, strangers have come forward in droves to donate toys to the resilient kid.
“Every child deserves a toy on Christmas,” Eric Burgland, a do-gooder who brought a gift to the collection spot, told WMUR. “Some more than others.”
Locals say they were particularly affected by the case because of the nature of the abuse and the fact that James was so vulnerable.
“It struck extra close to home because he’s around the same age as our youngest daughter who passed away,” Annette Flander, a New Englander who helped organize the toy drive for James, told CBS. “And I just think I would give anything to have her here and how could this happen to this little guy.”
Donors and Plaistow police also found this case to be particularly devastating because of the way James’s parents dumped him at the hospital. Dow and Linscott admitted the injured boy on Nov. 14, skipped town and were eventually found at Universal Studios in Florida after a two-week manhunt, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"I don't think any of us understand it," Plaistow Police Chief Stephen Savage told WMUR. "None of us understand it.
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