My name is Jerry Gallagher, and I am a retired probation officer, having served with the county probation department, juvenile division. I saw kids in trouble all the time, most of them deserving of the sentences the courts handed them. This is the story of three instances in which I was involved in the lives of children. I call them "Father Ed's Gamble," "Miracle on the Mountain," and "The Girl Who Should Be a Saint." One thing was made clear over the years: From the moment of conception, whether a child turns out good or bad, or even if the child doesn't survive or goes hungry and naked,...

My name is Jerry Gallagher, and I am a retired probation officer, having served with the county probation department, juvenile division. I saw kids in trouble all the time, most of them deserving of the sentences the courts handed them. This is the story of three instances in which I was involved in the lives of children. I call them "Father Ed's Gamble," "Miracle on the Mountain," and "The Girl Who Should Be a Saint." One thing was made clear over the years: From the moment of conception, whether a child turns out good or bad, or even if the child doesn't survive or goes hungry and naked,...