Blue pinwheels in Rockford meant to call attention to the severity of child abuse and neglect

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The blue pinwheels stuck to the ground outside of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford are intended to serve as a public reminder of the children whose lives have been altered by abuse.

The 372 pinwheels placed along Parkview Avenue each represent a child served by the college’s Medical Evaluation Response Initiative Team, or MERIT, in the past year. That team conducts medical evaluations and provides treatment and advocacy for children suspected of being physically or sexually abused.

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The pinwheels placed in the ground Friday are just a fraction of the lives affected by abuse, said MERIT Medical Director Ray Davis. MERIT has been in operation for 16 years, and each year it serves hundreds of children.

“Think about how much more space 16 plots with those pinwheels would cover on this campus,” Davis said. “Then go back another 12 or 15 years to Carrie Lynn, and the patients that we served when we had volunteer positions working in Carrie Lynn seeing patients. They averaged 600 a year.”

“There’s not enough space on this campus to put a flag” for every child.

The college held a pinwheel ceremony Friday to draw attention to the severity of child abuse in Winnebago County and across the country. The ceremony was attended by college and MERIT staff, as well as Mayor Tom McNamara and State’s Attorney J. Hanley.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is the second year the college has held a pinwheel ceremony. Last year, there were 403 pinwheels placed in the ground.

“I hope that smaller (number) means we are getting better, but actually our acuity has been much, much worse with neglect cases and severe physical abuse and severe sexual abuse,” said Shannon Krueger, MERIT director and pediatric nurse practitioner and sexual assault nurse examiner for pediatrics. “In the 10 years I’ve been here I’ve seen a progression of (the severity) getting worse.”

Krueger hopes the flags make the public reflect on the severity of child abuse here. The abuse can have lifelong ramifications, and survivors need our patience and support, she said.

“Kids who have experienced abuse or have been exposed to domestic violence have higher rates of being violent themselves, experiencing depression, anxiety, mental health issues, substance abuse,” Krueger said. “Kids aren’t born bad, so when we see a kid who’s struggling or having behavioral issues, instead of making it worse for them we need to figure out how to make it better.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas