An eight-year-old abuse survivor , who was beaten so severely as an infant that she permanently lost the use of her legs , has written a heartwrenching open letter to her social workers and detectives thanking them for investigating her case and placing her in a happy home where she is loved . Marie Surprenant , from Atlanta , Georgia , was eight-months-old and weighed only 14lbs when she was admitted to the Children ’ s Healthcare of Atlanta with more than 14 fractures , numerous bruises and a spinal cord injury that left her paraplegic . After her biological mother and her boyfriend were arrested , Marie was placed into foster care and later adopted by Michele Surprenant . ' I want to thank you for making me happy by giving me a new warm and safe environment , ' Marie began her handwritten letter , which was published on Children 's Healthcare of Atlanta 's blog . 'Now I have a home that is nice and I have three nice meals a day . ' All smiles : Abuse survivor Marie Surprenant was photographed with her adoptive mother Michele during a trip to the beach . Marie , who was recently accepted into one of the city ’ s top private schools for the fourth grade , went on to introduce herself and tell her story . 'When I was a baby I got hurt and you were on my case , ' she wrote . 'When I was little I got hurt and I was n't going to walk at all . ' Marie wrote a detailed account of how her biological mother 's boyfriend lied in the emergency room about how she got her injuries , claiming that she fell out of bed . She noted that because her social workers 'got involved and solved ' her case the 'bad guy ' is no longer hurting her - or anyone else . ' I think that if you never helped me my life would still be awful and lonely . Because they might not help me , not feed me or they would hit me when I cried ' she said . 'But now I 'm much better . I now have a safe happy environment . I am also around smart people . [ sic ] ' Marie said her life 'is so much better ' , although she noted that her dog Jo 's snoring drives her crazy . She continued by giving detailed descriptions of her cats Gypsy and Mr Fluffy . Marie , who said she 'loves pets ' , also talked about her class ' bearded dragon Mr Cuddles . She ended her candid letter by writing : ' I wish that you keep doing what you do to make the world a better place and to make kids feel protected . I also wish that no matter how big or small the case is you will at least try and help the kids . ' And amazingly , Marie 's letter , which has become one of the blog 's most read posts , found its way to one of the people who helped change her life . Grateful child : The eight-year-old wrote this later because she wanted to thank the social workers who 'investigated and solved ' her case after she was abused by her biological mother and her boyfriend . Animal love : Marie also described her two cats and her dog in her handwritten letter . Never quit : She ended her message by encouraging other social workers to always do their best to help children like herself . 'This is Ms Rita your case worker , ' social worker Rita Goodman wrote in the comment section of the post . ' I 'm in a wheelchair sometimes myself now . I had to retire [ two ] years ago . I 'm so glad to hear you are happy [ sic. ] . She added : ' I am also so proud of you . You are one of my best memories of the 12 years I spent in child welfare . ' Marie 's adoptive mother Michele , who is also a social worker , revealed in the blog post that it was her daughter 's idea to write the letter because she is grateful for what she has . I now have a safe happy environment . Michele explained that Marie is 'living proof that `` social work works '' ' , adding that her little girl is nearly nine-years-old and she is a straight A student who is 'wise beyond her years ' . She recalled how Marie learned to push her wheelchair on her own when she was only 17-months-old . ' [ Marie 's ] future looks bright , and we know very well that none of this success would have been possible without the amazing team of social workers , detectives and medical staff in Atlanta , ' Michele wrote . 'Thank you for being the stepping stone that [ t ] his little , baby girl needed . While Marie 's paralysis causes scoliosis , requiring her to have rods in her back and surgery every six months , Michele told ABC News that her injuries have inspired her to become an orthopedic surgeon . 'Every time she sees her orthopedic surgeon , she 's asking him career planning questions , ' she said . 'But I told her sometimes he has to be at work at 6am some days , and she thinks that 's a little too early . She 's wondering if she 'll be able to work the night shift . '
Marie Surprenant , from Atlanta , Georgia , was left paraplegic after being severely abused as an infant . When Marie was eight-months-old she was admitted to the emergency room with more than 14 fractures , weighing only 14lbs . After social workers investigated her case , she was put into foster care and adopted by Michele Surprenant . She has been in a group home ever since.