2009 Casey Medal Winner, "A Girl's Life" (video)

“This young girl's life could be a lesson for all of us. ...It just takes one person to step in.”

                -- Donovan Slack, reporter, The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe's "A Girl's Life" tells the heartbreaking story of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her 3-year-old sister, Sophia, both of whom lived lives of neglect in a troubled Massachusetts home before dying in a house fire. The piece, which resulted in a subsequent investigation by the state’s new Child Advocate, conveys the urgent need to improve state child welfare systems.

The project won a 2009 Casey Medal in the Single Story, 200,000-plus circulation category. In this JCCF video, Globe reporters Keith O'Brien and Donovan Slack talk about the challenges they faced while reporting, as well as the importance of telling Acia's story.

JCCF video by Jon Sham.