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

Sherri flmom2006 at gmail.com
Mon Jul 26 14:13:37 UTC 2010 

I'm a little behind on messages, because I'm visiting my daughter Katie in 
California and haven't kept up with e-mail, but I am so glad the couple got 
their baby back. Ad to the uninformed and unfeeling comments of sighted 
parents, well, just consider the source!
Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Blind Couple's Baby Returned Kansas City, MO


>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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>>> >
>>> >
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>> m
>>
>>
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>
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