Viewers Open Hearts to 'Children of the Plains'
Children, charities and businesses featured in special see overwhelming support.
Oct. 17, 2011 — -- Americans are opening their hearts to the young dreamers of the Pine Ridge Reservation after watching their stories on "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains," Friday's "20/20" special with Diane Sawyer.
The schools, organization and entrepreneurs featured in the special and online have been overwhelmed with e-mails from architects and community planners with ideas for mobile health clinics, new retailers interested in investing and selling Native American products and more.
Get Involved: How to Help the Children of the Plains
The children and teens profiled on the show, meanwhile, have been flooded with messages of support since the special aired. Alaina Clifford, 19, the teen mom with dreams of becoming a music star, said she's heard from many other teen moms who have urged her not to give up on her goals and praising her beautiful voice. Viewers have also called the school of 6-year-old, Tashina Iron Horse, the exuberant pow wow dancer who kept her spirit in the face of tragedy, to ask what they can do to keep the young girl smiling.
Louise Clifford, the teen with a tough home life who savored riding her horse around the land she loved, will celebrate her 14th birthday this week with an unexpected bounty of birthday gifts, from school books to offers of tuition aid. Robert Looks Twice, 13, the star student with hopes of becoming the nation's first Native American president, has already amassed more than 1,000 potential voters thanks to a Facebook fan page that someone established for him over the weekend.
But Robert's most treasured feedback, he told ABC News, is from someone else: the father Robert had never met contacted him after watching him Friday night.
Watch Friday's full episode, "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains," here.