When her school teacher saw the huge bruises on the back of the girl’s legs she gasped and cried.
Mosgiel resident Eleanor Moore (78) says as a young girl she was sent to school wearing long pants to hide the evidence of painful beatings.
She spent her early years from about 2 years old in a series of foster homes.
One home in particular had a life-long effect on her.
"I was abused when I was a child.
"When I was tiny, I used to wet the bed."
Using a length of cable similar to a power cord , her foster mother would strike the back of her legs whenever she wet the bed.
"And then I wondered why I had to wear long trousers at school, it was all to hide the bloody bruises."
One day at primary school she was so sore she could not sit down, but she did not want to tell her teacher what was wrong.
"I said ‘I’m not telling you, I’ll get a hiding ... my foster mother will find out and I’ll get another hiding’."
Eleanor’s teacher took her to see the headmistress who lowered Eleanor’s trousers to see for herself.
"When she saw the bruises on my legs, I think she cried."
"She said ‘I’ve never seen so many bruises on a child’."
That same day Eleanor was moved to a new foster home, and although other foster parents treated her much better, the experience had a deep impact on her.
As a young teenager she began working at Ross Home in Dunedin's North East Valley, looking after elderly residents.
"I loved it ... looking after the oldies, showering them and getting them dressed and all that sort of stuff."
She married and had eight pregnancies, two of which were miscarriages, and one baby died of sudden infant death, also known as cot death.
Later when her children began to leave home Mrs Moore began taking in foster children.
For her this was an opportunity to provide children with a loving environment.
Over the years Mrs Moore estimated she fostered about five or six children and she was still in touch with some of them who still called her "Mum".
As well as caring for children, Mrs Moore for many years has helped strangers through her passion for knitting and crochet.
"I crochet blankets for the hospice, ponchos for the homeless."
She also creates scarves, dishcloths and baby clothing.
"I just love giving my things to people and seeing the look on their face."
For the past 18 years Mrs Moore has been living in social housing managed by Kainga Ora.
"I have wonderful neighbours, the four of us look after each other.
"We take care of each other."
