A Look At Ethan, Mom Never Seen Before
By: Ken Curtis
Updated: February 12, 2013
Dr. Phil speaks to the mother of Ethan Gilman, the little boy kidnapped from his school bus by a gunman on January 29th, just days before his sixth birthday, and held hostage in an underground bunker for nearly a week. Jennifer Kirkland tells Dr. Phil how she survived every parent's worst nightmare.
The harrowing ordeal began when Jimmy Lee Dykes flagged down and boarded Gilman's school bus, killing the driver and taking the boy hostage. Dr. Phil will find out what it was like for Kirkland to live through that time knowing that her young son was at the mercy of Dykes. What went on in that bunker? Was Ethan cared for while held captive? Was he physically harmed in any way? Was she able to communicate with Ethan throughout the week?
Kirkland will also learn from Dr. Phil what she needs to do moving forward to help her
son process and move past this trauma, as well as what she can do to make her son's
life as normal as possible.
"Ethan has been through the worst thing anybody could ever go through," said Kirkland.
"It's my job to make sure that he goes through no more. It's my job to protect him from
all these feelings."
Dr. Phil told Kirkland during the taping, "If he (Ethan) needs to cry, cry with him. It's OK
for him to see you cry and you don't need to hide it."
The program airs Wednesday at 4:00 on WDHN.
The harrowing ordeal began when Jimmy Lee Dykes flagged down and boarded Gilman's school bus, killing the driver and taking the boy hostage. Dr. Phil will find out what it was like for Kirkland to live through that time knowing that her young son was at the mercy of Dykes. What went on in that bunker? Was Ethan cared for while held captive? Was he physically harmed in any way? Was she able to communicate with Ethan throughout the week?
Kirkland will also learn from Dr. Phil what she needs to do moving forward to help her
son process and move past this trauma, as well as what she can do to make her son's
life as normal as possible.
"Ethan has been through the worst thing anybody could ever go through," said Kirkland.
"It's my job to make sure that he goes through no more. It's my job to protect him from
all these feelings."
Dr. Phil told Kirkland during the taping, "If he (Ethan) needs to cry, cry with him. It's OK
for him to see you cry and you don't need to hide it."
The program airs Wednesday at 4:00 on WDHN.
