Infant is returned to blind couple after state places her in protective custody
Erika Johnson will never be able to see her baby, Mikaela.
But for 57 days she couldn’t keep her newborn close, smell her baby’s breath, feel her downy hair.
The state took away her 2-day-old infant into protective custody — because Johnson and Mikaela’s father are both blind.
No allegations of abuse, just a fear that the new parents would be unable to care for the child.
On Tuesday, Johnson still couldn’t stop crying, although Mikaela was back in her arms.
“We never got the chance to be parents,” she said. “We had to prove that we could.”
via Infant is returned to blind couple after state places her in protective custody – KansasCity.com.
What a terrible injustice. So glad that Mikaela is back at home! Why not offer support if there’s concerns about safety instead of immediately jumping in and removing the child?
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.
What a heartbreaking story. I am shocked.
This makes me so sad. As a teacher of children who are blind and visually impaired I just cannot believe that something like this happened in 2010. Horrible.