A few weeks ago daycare owner Martha McClure endured a horrific beating, including taking a shovel to the face, when she refused to let 3 siblings leave her daycare with their intoxicated father.
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So when the children’s father arrived at her daycare on October 7, behaving aggressively and attempting to remove his kids from her home, McClure says her only priority was luring the man out of her house and locking the door behind them.
Once McClure was outside, she says the children’s father and his girlfriend attacked her, striking her several times in the face with a shovel and hitting her before fleeing the scene.
According to a report in the Missoulian, Francis Jackson, 31, and Tashiana Schlensker, 21, were arrested and charged in the attack. Schlensker has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of assault with a weapon. Jackson faces arraignment this week for charges of felony aggravated burglary and custodial interference.
McClure suffered several broken bones in her face as a result of the attack, and had to have surgery. Today, she still struggles with pain and vision problems, but says that she’s thankful that she was able to keep the children in her care safe and unaware of the danger outside their door.
McClure, who lives in Ronan, Montana, spoke to TODAY Parents and revealed that she doesn’t see herself as a hero and that she’s a bit overwhelmed by all the attention!
“To me, it wasn’t heroic. To me, it’s what I’m supposed to do,” McClure told TODAY Parents. “The children in my care — I am their person. I am their momma bear when their mother isn’t there. Did I know he was going to hurt me? Yes. Did I hope he wouldn’t? Sure. Would I do it over again? Definitely.
Well, that statement alone tells me that Martha was a hero, even if she doesn’t want to admit it! According to TODAY McClure suffered several broken bones in her face from the attack and while she still suffers from pain and some vision problems, she was happy that she was able to keep the kids safe.
“They don’t know what all happened. We did the best we could to keep them safe and keep them innocent,” said McClure. “I don’t want (my home) to be a scary place where something scary happened. For most of these kids, my house is their second home.”
“I’m grateful that it wasn’t worse,” she added. “It’s my job, what I did, and I will honestly say that the scars physically are going to heal. Had I given them to him — the emotional scars — I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. Everybody that mattered in that moment was safe.”
Wow! She’s a selfless and brave woman. This is definitely the kind of woman you want looking after your child. Evidently, many people agree and are in full support of her because a GoFundMe page that has been set up to help McClure with medical costs and has already surpassed the $30,000 goal.
