Blind Couple Reunited With Baby Taken Away by State

You sound like a very intelligent and logical person.
You are probably a NURSE...but this time a SENSIBLE & PRACTICAL one.

What a horror to have your baby ripped from your arms.
What has happened to us? Have we all lost our minds?

Thanks, Proud... No, I'm not a nurse. I'm the wife of a blind man. And he's the father of my son. And they do pretty well together, most of the time.

Not achieving a latch-on is completely different than suffocating your baby with your breast and not realizing it. The baby turned blue, for god's sake. I would hope a nurse would report a parent being so inept they start cutting off their kid's air supply without realize it.

What happoned to the HARTLESS NURSE that reported the situation??? they should check her out and let her stand in the wellfare line.

to LS - it was more than just the mother not being able to get the baby to "latch onto her", the child was SUFFOCATING! HELLO!?!?!?!?! Thank God that the nurse was present and DID make that report so now maybe these parents can get the help they DO need to raise their child. No doubt, they adore their baby as much as the next parent, but look at the obvious "They are BLIND!!!!". It's not an insult or a "put-down" to them, they CAN'T SEE!!. Don't you agree that they need assistance? I feel terrible that they had their baby taken away from them. I think that they can and will make wonderful, loving parents, but I do believe that they need assistance with the day to day stress and problems that do arise when taking care of a small child.

I am a nurse and have been for several years. While we are mandatory reporters, this was handled the wrong way in the hospital. A labor room nurse has the responsibility to make sure the mother is comfortable in meeting the baby's physical needs. Now we are all required to take in hours of paper work on an admission. I am sure it was not missed that the parents were blind. If I were that nurse, I would make sure that mom had the extra support she needed before this even became an issue Even the small hospitals have breast feeding consultants on hand. Make sure one is up there. Be the nurse and make sure she has support she needs right away. Where did our problem solving sklls go as nurses???? The critical thinking skills that could have gotton mom and baby off to the right start. Nurses used to be proactive and not just active. While maybe the nurse did need to document that she had trouble, she should have been able right away document the solution to the problem as well. Breast feeding for me a SIGHTED NURSE was a frustrating experience and I am sure my nurse charted all the problems I had, maybe thought I was an overly emotional idiot. OBSERVATION of mom feeding babe the first several times - DUH

As a nurse we have to document by law what goes on with our patients especially since the baby did turn blue. However as was sad previously, the nurse saw that both parents were blind and she or he should have extended themselves with empathy and compassion. Ive worked in L&D and have taught my mothers how to breast feed. Ive sat down in the room and taken time to help my moms because I love what I do and mom is successful I am successful. For the most part there are a lot of great nurses out here in the field but keep in mind like any other field we have our shares of licenced idiots. Not only do they make patients lives a living hell but they try to drive coworkers crazy. I love being a nurse and I see it as a gift from God so I try to be mindful in all my actions. Thats why as patience you have to educate yourselves and not be ignorant. You have to learn how to be yours, your kids, your families advocate. There are some nurses out here that are only in the field for the money but there are those of us that really love our patients and what we do. All I can say is arm yourself and educate yourself. Always remember there are bad apples in every field of profession. God bless this family and I hope the state will work with them and not against them. Provide this family will the assistance they need to remain a safe and thriving family.

Listen, that baby turned blue when the mother tried to feed it. What would you like the state to do? If the baby had to rushed to the hospital and/or died, then you would be saying why didn't the state do more. These parents are blind! It was their responsibility to seek out help before this baby was born. They do have a disability that requires assistance for some time until these "kids" get it together. The state should of helped get them some assistance but I definitely understand why the social worker did what she did. Her responsibility is the welfare of that child. It is the responsibility of the parents to get help/assistance.

I was always taught "two wrongs don't make a right." i think too many people, obviously you ARE one, sue for any little reason just to get their greedy hands on fast money.

I don't believe that the government handled the situation appropriately in this situation, but I do believe that the parents need help from a sighted person. For example, there was a comment about the nurse making suggestions on better positioning - something that needs to be done by a sigthed person. Also, there were several comments about it being hard enough for a sighted parent to learn how to take care of a new child. There are many issues that could arise because of something visual going unnoticed.

I believe that this couple is capable of taking care of their own child, but I think they do need some assistance. That's how the government can intervene: by providing them with help.

How do you know she hasn't reported any other mother besides this one? You don't. So do not assume that this nurse was not doing her job. Because odds are if she didn't do something about this, like letting Social Services know of the problem and the help that these two blind parents need, if something harmed the baby and or that baby dies while with the parents, odds are you would be complaining that she didn't do anything at all and that no one from Social Services offered any help.

Welcome to the "land of the free"!!
A pair of Grandparents in Midland Michigan were denied their own Grandchildren because their (very nice) house only had one bathroom & the kids would have to "share a bedroom".
They had to put THOUSANDS of bucks into adding onto their home.
Thanks to local generosity the additions were made but STILL the government held the kids in foster homes. Our local news is vague, at best, but they seemed like perfectly normal Grandparents &, at least, their neighbors & fellow church congregation, seemed to like them.
Imagine if the State found out about the living conditions of young Abe Lincoln.

You are 100% right. I was on magnesium and unable to hold my baby right after birth and unable to breast feed too, no one took my baby away and my husband and I had no idea what we were doing, just like this couple and every first time parent. I mean, we all know the theory, but we all find the practical aspects more challenging than we thought.

How dare the state treat this couple this way simply because they are blind! They needed help not punishment.

Let's hope this case highlights the need for so-called professionals to actually look at all aspects of a case AND then have a fresh pair of eyes look over it too - one person in government should not have the right to make this far reaching a decision alone!

Amen LS!

Ignorance is bliss in this case.... I'm quite sure the blind couple have family and friends to support them and their beautifull baby girl. I hope they sue the hospital and file an legal complaint to set the rest of the world straight on mistreating handicaped couples.

What gives anyone the right to separate a newborn from her mother and interrupt the bonding that takes place naturally in a hospital setting.

Ok once I can shift past the civil right discriminations…
(Yea as if one could shift past that>>>> Urghhhhh!!!)
The next thing flying off my keyboard is>>>>

Family support, family support, family support!
Where the heck is the family and individual support!

Here in Massachusetts there is an individual and family support law called Chapter 171.
Although the implementation continues to be a work in progress…
It reads as follows:



Chapter 171 of the Acts of 2002


AN ACT PROVIDING SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:



SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16E, inserted by section 6A of chapter 177 of the acts of 2001, the following section:-

Section 16F. As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:-

(a) "Community services", services that are available to the general population.

"Department", the Massachusetts commission for the blind, the Massachusetts commission for the deaf and hard of hearing, the department of mental health, the department of mental retardation, the department of public health, the division of medical assistance and the Massachusetts rehabilitation commission.

"Family", a person with a disability or chronic illness and the parents, relatives or guardians who have assumed responsibility for caring for that person indefinitely, excluding professional service providers who are unrelated to the person.

"Flexible supports", support services, subject to appropriation and consistent with each department's authority and mandate for serving people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, may include, but not be limited to:

(1) coordination and facilitation of support services;

(2) counseling and information;

(3) facilitation of self-help groups;

(4) home adaptations;

(5) assistive technology devices and services and support services to facilitate full communication and language access;

(6) financial assistance;

(7) assistance in caregiving including: respite, day care, after school care and personal care or personal care surrogacy, when necessary;

(8) adaptive equipment and clothing;

(9) medical services;

(10) transportation, including vehicle modification;

(11) recreation and leisure activities;

(12) life planning;

(13) special dietary supplements and medical equipment and maintenance;

(14) mental health treatment; and

(15) advocacy training.

"Substantial consultation", may include, but shall not be limited to, the following activities: meetings and discussions with persons with disabilities and chronic illnesses and their families to determine their needs and concerns; public hearings to review draft individual and family support plans developed in response to this section to be held with adequate public notice on a regional basis throughout the commonwealth not less than 90 days prior to the scheduled date of plan submission; issuance of a draft plan sufficiently in advance of a hearing to permit the submission of written comments; public availability of written comments within each region not less than 60 days in advance of the plan submission date.

(b) Each department, after substantial consultation with individuals with disabilities and their families, the departments' statewide or regional advisory councils subject to appropriation, shall annually prepare an individual and family support plan that shall explain how the department intends to provide flexible supports to families and individuals. The plans shall be submitted to the governor, the secretary of health and human services, the joint committee on human services and elderly affairs and the house and senate committees on ways and means. Each department shall set forth its own plan, subject to appropriation, for coordinating, enhancing and expanding individual and family supports during the fiscal year. Each department shall seek creative and innovative ways, within its existing authority and mandate for serving individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses, to provide flexible supports. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following goals:

(1) to develop interagency collaboration and public and private partnerships in order to: increase access to services; coordinate resources and referrals; pool funds to better support those with multiple disabilities; and provide technical assistance, training and outreach to consumers, specialized providers and community service providers about the philosophy and goals of individual and family support plans and progress toward those goals;

(2) to create opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families for oversight of, and input into, the direction and development of policies and programs involving support services funded by the departments' local, regional and central offices and their vendor agencies;

(3) to specify long and short-term objectives and strategies for implementing accessible and flexible supports for individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses and their families and to review progress toward long and short-term objectives specified in the previous plan. Long-term strategies should span multiple years and the range of years shall parallel the department's usual short and long-term planning patterns;

(4) to identify family support resources that shall be used to achieve goals and objectives specified in the plan and to analyze the current flexibility of departmental funding mechanisms in order to identify any adjustments needed to more adequately provide family supports for those families prioritized for funding within the guidelines of each department mandate;

(5) to enable the full participation of individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses and their families in community life in a way that maintains respect and sensitivity to choices made by all cultures;

(6) to expand the capacity of community services to include persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses by training and educating community service providers; and

(7) to empower consumers and ensure their active leadership and advocacy through opportunities for education, leadership development and training.

SECTION 2. (a) Within 90 days after the effective date of this act, the departments shall collectively submit to the governor, the secretary of health and human services, the joint committee on human services and elderly affairs and the house and senate committees on ways and means an assessment of the current service delivery systems for individual and family supports for persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses and their families. Before submitting the assessment, the departments shall meet with families who use support services to determine the adequacy of those services.

(b) Each department shall submit its first individual and family support plan, in accordance with section 16F of chapter 6A of the General Laws, not later than 1 year after the effective date of this act. Each year thereafter, such plans shall be submitted by August 1.

SECTION 3. All requirements set forth in this act shall be subject to appropriation by the general court and shall not give rise to any enforceable right or entitlement not otherwise provided by state regulation or by general or special law.

Approved July 26, 2002.

This law was written primarily by families. Families who wanted to make our state a family support state.

It is my expectation would be >>> that with Chapter 171 on books here in Massachusetts such a tragedy could have been prevented because ... it is actually a law to provide family support!

Now funding it in this economic crisis is a whole other battle!!

My deep and most respectful support to this beautiful young family.

Lauri Medeiros
Metro Boston Regional Coordinator
Mass Families Organizing for Change
www.mfofc.org

I know many blind parents that have not one but 2-3 kids and they do fine.If they can get up every day and dress and feed themselves ok why cant they thier child. I know parents that are healthy that dont take care of thier kids well.God will help them.And dont they have parents to help them?. Thier ears are thier eyes.They see better with thier ears then we can with our eyes. Im just ticked at what is happening. Social services sometime stick thier nose in when they shouldnt.. I remember how clumsy I was when I had my first child. I cried because I couldnt get her to feed. Give her back her baby.!!!!!!! If you want to do something get them some help for awhile. Whats this world coming to?......

Perfect comment, and I completely agree. When I gave birth to my first child I had issues with breast feeding, so I bottle fed. These people and the constant pushing of breast feeding need to stop. It's your choice to feed with a bottle or breast, not a nurse, doctor, or god forbid, THE STATE.

The usual morons from the State and idiots from the hospital. I hope they sue them blind.

To those of you that keep going on and on about how she was suffocating her baby; Have you breastfed a child? If so, while you were breastfeeding did you have your eyes glued to your child the whole time everytime? Didn't the mother state "something is wrong" and then change sides? It wasn't as if she just stuffed the baby against her breast and had to be TOLD something was wrong, she knew. There are many, many children that grow up in homes with blind parents and they are just fine.
By your line of reasoning, maybe we should take away all children of blind parents. What's next? Perhaps blind people should be sterilized? How about deaf parents, I mean what if the baby cries and they can't hear it? Maybe just to be safe we shouldn't allow anyone that doesn't look, act and believe just like we do to have kids. I can't image anything as heartbreaking as having your child taken away by the government because you have a disablity.