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Jaycee Lee Dugard Today: Family Says She's Well But Feels Guilty

by Amy Judd | August 29, 2009 at 08:28 am

8778 views | 44 Recommendations | 6 comments

Jaycee Lee Dugard has only been home with her family for a few days after her 18 year kidnapping ordeal, but how is she doing today? How is she coping with being home after so long?

Wilma Probyn, Jaycee's step-grandmother, says that the family is just so relieved that the now-29-year-old girl is safe at home, after being kept with Phillip Garrio, a registered sex offender, and his wife Nancy Garrido in Antioch, California. (Picture of Jaycee Lee Dugard from the updated FBI files)

"We're happy she's okay, but upset about all those years she spent in the shed," the 83-year-old, her voice cracking with emotion, tells PEOPLE. "I still am excited, but I don't like thinking about how she was kept in that stupid old shed out there with no doctors, no dentists, no schooling."

Wilma says that Jaycee is doing well at home in Concord, California, but that she feels a lot of guilt from having bonded with her captors, which often happens in long-term kidnapping cases.

She looks healthy according to her family, and she still looks like she did when she was only 11-years-old.
Her two daughters, 15 and 11, have just been told that they were the product of an abduction, but their future is currently unknown.

Carl Probyn, Jaycee's stepfather, told the media last night:

"It's going good. It's going slow...they're trying to keep out of the media," Probyn said. "These girls are so fragile. They're trying to go the right direction...everything is about these girls and doing things the right way."

Carl has not yet seen Jaycee face to face, but the family is taking it very slow and he hopes they can all reconnect soon.
Jaycee's stepsister Shayna, who was one-years-old when Jaycee was taken wrote this on her MySpace page:

"As of this moment, we are just reuniting and everything is going well," Shayna posted to her MySpace page Friday. "Shes only 29. She has the rest of her life to live and I have a lot of love to share with my sister and new nieces. In due time my mom will make statements and so will I if needed, but you have to understand this time is critical and the media attention would just add stress to something so delicate."

The charges against Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy will be as follows:

One count of kidnapping a person under 14
One count of kidnapping for sexual purposes
Two counts of forcible rape
Seven counts of a forcible lewd act on a child
Four counts of forcible rape with a special allegation of one strike, tier two
One count of false imprisonment
Violent sexual offenses and substantial sexual conduct with a person under the age of 14

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Barry ORegan

at 08:38 on August 29th, 2009

One cannot imagine the thearpy her and the kids will have to go through, not to mention her children when the grandparents are constantly reminded of their father.,

Mary Richard

at 10:46 on August 29th, 2009

Good followup, Amy. I hope the media can now respect her privacy, and give her time to heal.

A trust fund has been set up to help Jaycee and her kids with their recovery. It's been verified by Larry King Live and ABC News:

Jaycee Dugard Trust Fund
C/O View Tech Financial Services
P.O. Box 596
Atwood, CA 92811

Amy Judd

at 12:52 on August 29th, 2009

Thanks for this link - I hope they can raise some money

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 13:36 on August 29th, 2009

It is a realistic expectation that she would have bonded with her captors after 18 years. That's all she would have known. She will need a lot of counselling just to be absorbed into the life of her real family. This takes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to a new level.

A. Tran

at 17:23 on August 29th, 2009

It's must be quite traumatic for this woman and her two children to be free and to see the outside world in the former case, after 18 years, and in the latter, for the first time.

Linda c (not verified)

at 20:26 on September 25th, 2009

Jaycee really needs to testify against Phillip and Nancy Garrido even if he did change as he got older, plus he became a father (from rape!) so he knew how awful it is for a little girl to be taken and raped. But she needs to be strong and follow through and take all the advice and help from everyone who is trying to help her. She may be able to live a normal life if she gets closure on this and puts Garrido behind bars forever! He is wicked, evil and the devil is inside of him, it's really sad she had to be put through that horrible time and robbed of her childhood and so many good times she missed. I'll pray for her and the two little girls she has to take care of and God only knows how they'll be able to cope and get passed this mess which Garrido created. I hope he does CA a big favor and kills himself so the state of CA can save money. He doesn't deserve a 'fair' trial! Nancy is as bad as him!