[Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO

[Jim Ellsworth]

RJ,

That is a very general statement from your sister with no reasons given as
to why she feels that way.  Can you provide specifics as to why she has that
opinion?

There are sighted parents of blind children, blind parents of sighted
children and yes, even blind parents raising blind children.  My wife and I
are both blind and raising children and in fact I have two daughters who are
both sighted and are now grown.  They survived quite nicely and would be the
first to tell you that it is very possible for blind people to have and
raise children.  They know from first hand experience.  You and your sister
would be surprised just how much blind people can do and do it extremely
well.

Cheers,
Jim Ellsworth
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of RJ Sandefur
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 7:36 PM
To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO

My sister believes Blind people have no biziness raising children, and that 
the state has the responiblity to keep children safe! RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lenora J. Marten" <bluegolfshoes at aol.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 6:34 PM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO


>
> For those of you who heard about this story in Dallas.... here is an 
> update.
> Lenora
>
>
> Visually Impaired Couple Wins Baby Back From State
> Erika Johnson, Blake Sinnett Were Reported To Children's Services
>
> POSTED: 9:02 pm CDT July 20, 2010
> UPDATED: 10:55 am CDT July 21, 2010
>
> KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A couple says ignorance about their blindness resulted

> in their daughter being taken away by the state.
> Erika Johnson and Blake Sinnett were reunited with their 2-month-old baby,

> named Mikaela, on Tuesday. Erika Johnson told KMBC's Peggy Breit it 
> started just after Mikaela was born, when Erika was breastfeeding the baby

> and a nurse became concerned.
> "Well, at first I was pretty shocked," Johnson said. "She said because I 
> said, 'Is she OK?' She said, 'No.' She was beginning to turn blue, but, 
> you know, it's OK, it could happen to anybody."
> Johnson and Sinnett kept tending to their child unaware that someone had 
> called children's services. That night, a social services agent came to 
> see them.
> "Her concern was because we were blind, we weren't going to be able to 
> adequately care for Mikaela," Johnson said.
> The agent first suggested that the couple get 24-7 sighted care to help at

> home. When they could not make that happen, Mikaela was taken away.
> It was through the Federation of the Blind that Johnson and Sinnett found 
> attorney Amy Coopman.
> "Any parent out there (blind or not), you have a constitutional right to 
> that relationship with your child. That has been violated here. They're 
> not going to get that time back," Coopman said.
> Breit reported that the couple's first battle is over -- the state dropped

> its petition and brought Mikaela home.
> "Well, I'm very happy and grateful that she is finally back in our care 
> again," Sinnett said.
> The couple said that they want to make sure that no other visually 
> impaired Missourian goes through what they have.
> "The most challenging thing, I think we're going to have to face, is the 
> ignorance of other people -- the assumption that because we are blind or 
> visually impaired that we can't take care of our child," Johnson said.
> Centerpoint Medical Center issued the following statement: "Centerpoint 
> Medical Center is committed to providing the very best patient care for 
> our expectant mothers and newborn babies. While patient privacy laws 
> prevent us from commenting on these specific allegations, the health and 
> safety of all our patients is very important to us."
>
>
> Copyright 2010 by KMBC.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be 
> published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
>
>
>
>
>
> Lenora
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