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

Thu Jul 22 02:36:29 UTC 2010

So, I just pay her no mind! RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Ellsworth" <jellsworth1 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: "'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO


> 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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