Saving Danny

The fifteenth fostering memoir by Cathy Glass.

Saving Danny begins with Danny being petrified and clinging to Cathy in desperation as she carries him to her car. Trapped in his own dark world, he cannot understand why his parents no longer love or want him, and why they are sending him away.

While Danny’s parents have everything they could wish for in material terms, they are unable to care for their only child. This is where Cathy comes in. On a cold, dark evening, Danny finds a place in her home where he can be himself, away from his parents’ impatience and frustration.

Often in his own little world, six-year-old Danny finds it difficult to communicate, preferring the solace of his best friend and confidant, George—his rabbit.

Cathy quickly becomes aware of his obsessively meticulous behaviour, in addition to his love of patterns. He sees them everywhere and creates them at any opportunity—in his play and also with his food. She realises that patience is the key to looking after Danny, as well as her well-tried strategies for managing children’s behaviour.

With his father refusing to cooperate, it becomes increasingly likely that Danny will be living with Cathy permanently, until she gets an opportunity to speak her piece.