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

Thu Jul 22 16:58:38 UTC 2010

I personally want children, and here at CCB, I told my org skills
teacher that I need childcare instruction.  After that, and after many
incidences that I'm sure have happened, there should be an emphasis on
childcare methods.
Beth

On 7/22/10, Patricia A. Lipovsky <plipovsky at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> RJ,
>
> Has your sister been around very many blind peiople?  When people have this
> type of attitude, its usually because of negative experiences they've had in
> the past with a few, hence, generalizing, if a few people are a certain way,
> then everyone must be the same.
>
> I personally have raised three childen, and witht the help of things like
> gates, bells on their shoes, etc., really didn't experience any
> extraordinary proglems that any other sighted parents would have
> experienced.  Of course, as a blind parent, you need to be more on your
> toes, and pay really close attention at all times, but other then that, I
> personally really don't see a problwem.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 10:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO
>
>
>>I am not supprised. She tells me I need to face reality, that It is
>>impossible for blind people to have kids, and she hates the NFB, she
>>likened the NFB to the NAACP. You can't tell her anything! She believes If
>>a blind person got a job, it was because some one felt sorry for them! 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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