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

Fri Jul 23 01:28:52 UTC 2010

I don't think my own family would want me to make them grandparents
and uncles.  That seems sad, but true.
Beth

On 7/22/10, Dan Hicks <danjhicks at yahoo.com> wrote:
> RJ, I feel sorry for your sister, but you are wise to pay her no mind.
>
> Your sister is right about one thing, though. You said, "...she likened the
> NFB to the NAACP." Actually, there are some similarities. Both are primarily
> advocacy and civil rights organizations. Both have been responsible for
> positive changes for those they represent and for society as a whole. Both
> are organization are made up of and governed by the people they represent
> and advocate for. Neither are governmental agencies run by those who are not
> representative of the respective organization's unique population. We make
> no apologies for similarities between NFB and other properly organized and
> operated, representative organizations.
>
> I don't know your sister, and would not presume to judge her in any way. I
> will only make the observation that people who harbor an uninformed
> prejudice against one group, often harbor similar prejudices against others.
>
>
> Dan
>
>
> "New ideas pass through three periods: (1) It can't be done. (2) It probably
> can be done, but it's not worth doing. (3) I knew it was a good idea all
> along!"
>                       - Arthur C. Clarke
>
>
>> -----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 10:36 PM
>> To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO
>>
>> 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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