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57 °F 5 Day Forecast Tuesday, December 23, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 8, 2003 �Lativa� is a 14-year-old who left a life of abuse for a promise of hope at the Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center. She wants to be a dancer. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Dancing with hope A Medford 14-year-old is working to overcome a rough past, but needs help to fulfill her dream EDITOR’S NOTE: "Light One Candle" is the annual Mail Tribune holiday giving program that focuses on the single need of a person, family or agency. By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Let’s call her Lativa. We can’t use the 14-year-old’s real name because it’s been only two years since she moved from a gun-studded Portland ghetto to this safe place in Medford. Staff at the Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center say it’s still a "sensitive case." But details of the middle-schooler’s life so far are all too real. Advertisement She and her four brothers were born to Portland parents who were poor in nearly every way. "You don’t know how hard it is to wake up every day not knowing if you need to lay low or have a gun with you," she wrote in an essay for school. Adopted by a new couple, the children were subjected to extreme neglect and severe sexual and physical abuse. A succession of foster homes fueled deep anger and self-destructive acts. Lativa got into fights. She got kicked out of school. She tried drugs. "I came to Medford a hood-tough, lost little girl," Lativa wrote. After two years at SOCSTC, which houses eight girls ages 13 to 18, she has witnessed a change. The program provides structure, guidance and a map for the future for young women with long histories of abuse, neglect and the ravages they bring. These days, Lativa directs her anger and energy into dance. She likes jazz dance, but hip-hop is her favorite. "It gets everything out," says the girl. "It’s like a relief." What’s more, she thinks she might be good at it, good enough to dream of attending the Juilliard School of Dance one day. "I have faith in myself," says Lativa, crossing her arms with natural grace. For now, however, she and the other girls in the SOCSTC program can’t quite count on a future in dance. Lessons, even the discounted sessions at the VIBES teen center in Medford, add up. Recital costumes are outrageous, and even ordinary workout gear is often beyond the means of the program’s clothing budget. As part of the Mail Tribune’s seventh annual Light One Candle holiday giving project, SOCSTC staff are asking for dance-related items and contributions for the girls. Lativa, for instance, wears a size medium. Her favorite color is blue. She favors the stretchy yoga pants and tops that are both fashionable and functional. Other suggestions would be gift certificates for dance lessons or gift cards from athletic and dance stores. Donations can be sent to SOCSTC, Attn: Stephanie, 358 S. Oakdale Ave., Medford, OR 97501. Or call 776-0497, Ext. 215, and leave a name and phone number. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times