A mother abandoned her disabled teenage daughter in a Tennessee bar and refused to take her back.

Police found 19-year-old Lynn Cameron, who suffers from severe developmental disabilities in the Big Orange Bar in Caryville, Tenn. last June 28. Her mother asked Lynn to use the bathroom, then quickly drove back home to Illinois without her daughter.

Lynn Cameron does not speak and suffers from cerebral palsy and visual impairment. After 10 days of searching, police finally identified mother Eva Cameron. The mom drove back to Tennessee, but told police that she can no longer care for her daughter and would like Lynn to go to state custody.

While her actions sparked initial outrage, the mom explained her situation: The family is overextended caring for Lynn’s younger sibling who is also disabled.

The state of Illinois has been undergoing massive cost-cutting; multiple mental health services and facilities have been ceased. “We need to change the law so that if a mother has two children that have issues with disabilities, that there needs to be more help offered by the state,” Cameron explained. “They just say, ‘You don’t qualify.’ ”

The mom explained that she left her daughter in Tennessee because she believed that the state has the number one health care system in America and will be able to provide the right care for their daughter. She also believed that Tennessee will do a better job than herself (or Illinois for that matter), as she was already overwhelmed with caring for another disabled child.

Since Lynn is no longer a minor, no charges will be filed against her mother. The teen is currently at the care of the Michael Dunn Facility in Roane County, Tennessee.

There is no question that Eva Cameron could’ve better handled the situation. Leaving her daughter at a bar was not only disconcerting but also dangerous. She risked her daughter’s safety by leaving her in such a precarious situation. That said, if her statements and intentions are true, then the mom was certainly in a bind, and cannot be fully blamed for her actions.

Find out more about their story below.