"Happy Day, My Daddy!"

Princess Tomorrow's Daddy (I need to think of a good nickname for him before I make my blog public again) said today was "the best Father's Day ever". Hard to believe since I did very little to prepare for it, and in fact didn't get him a gift until last night when I put together a Snapfish Photobook with photos of him with the kids and two family photos for the front and back covers. We didn't make cards and didn't even buy any until today, and that was after brunch, too. But we've been so busy with the garden and had lots of bad carma* (I meant to spell it that way) so I wasn't sure we would have any money to spare with our upcoming trip to Missouri for a reunion at Two County Ranch.

We started out the day just lazing around, and since DH usually makes breakfast on the weekends, it's sort of like Mother's Day probably is in most homes. It goes a little something like this: Well, Dad usually cooks us breakfast but it's Father's Day so we can't ask Dad to make us pancakes, and Mom always burns them (and/or makes healthy ones that taste horrible) so I KNOW, LET'S GO OUT FOR BREAKFAST!

So we decided very spontaneously to go to brunch at Gunther Toody's. Gunther Toody's is a fifties themed diner that's similar to Ed Debevic's in Chicago. There is no website or I would beam you up. The reviews at Yelp are awful. I registered and will write a review in the morning after I've had coffee! The food is not the greatest but where else can you go with three kids who can sit still for about five minutes? And it's perfect if all you want out of the deal is some hot pancakes with cranberry juice, and maybe a side of eggs. I had the whole wheat banana walnut pancakes and they were delish so I don't see what the fuss is about with the negative reviews on Yelp. Who would expect a gourmet meal and stellar service from a place called Gunther Toody's anyway? It totally looks exactly like a cheesy, stereotypical 50's diner from the front so maybe people ought to check their haughty Denverite attitudes at the front doors with the shiny chrome handles or go to Root Down or somewhere more snooty. Our kids ate their M&M pancakes (seriously, we let them eat stuff like that and they still live) and they ate them in almost total silence. They even asked us if they had to eat them all (of course not). Then they had a blast hula-hooping and playing video games with their Daddy-o. What is not to love? And it was fairly cheap, too.

After brunch, we went to REI in Denver for a tent. Then DH went to see Star Trek all.by.himself. at the Movie Tavern (where tickets are only $5.50 and one can order food with the movie). Then we had ribs with Baby Ray's barbeque sauce and corn on the grill with baked beans. Dessert was a cookies and cream cake (store bought) after we practiced putting up our new tent. We were going to let the boys sleep in it until we decided the cat could decide to scratch and we don't want it to get damaged before we've even used it.

Next year, I'd like to be able to spend Father's Day with my dad. I talked to him while we were at breakfast, but I felt bad that none of us girls were there with him. We were all just there for Mother's Day, because that was when a "Celebration of Life" for a new baby niece and one year-old nephew was planned, but we completely forgot about Father's Day. I think next year it would be great if we could all be in KC and the boys and dads could go to a game with Grandpa or something like that. Hammy and Moose think that sounds "really cool".

All in all, it was a fun Father's Day. I am so fortunate that our children have a loving father who puts family first and who cooks, does dishes and laundry, as well as plays with them and reads to them. He didn't have the best role model for a father-- and maybe that is why he is such a great dad, in spite of his own-- but he is definitely setting the bar high for our boys and girl. I don't know another father who is so involved with his kids and so helpful to his wife. I think we need to have more days like today, where he gets a break and gets to be a 50's TV dad, if only for a while. Who knows? I may even put an apron and bake him a casserole one day soon.



*Someone backed into our minivan in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart last Sunday. The body work would be $1500 but we are going to take the check from her insurance company (she got a ticket for "Reckless Backing") so that we can use it to fix DH's SUV that has misfiring cylinders. Meanwhile, the transmission is going out in our minivan so it seems silly to make cosmetic repairs (and be able to open the passenger side door) if we can't even drive it in the very near future.

"Goodbye Visit"

Tomorrow riding in a Care Bears doll stroller from her birth mom --

it is one of TWO doll strollers she has given her!

Today the Case Aide who supervises the weekly visits called to tell us that birth mom's "Goodbye Visit" will be Friday at 4:45. She asked that we stay close in case it gets out of control and she has to end the visit early. That doesn't help my anxiety at all!

Part of me is so sad for the birth mom, that she will not get to see three of her daughters anymore (unless we choose to make arrangements for visits within an open adoption-- which I am not too keen on right now, given her mental/psychological state).

Another part of me is relieved that we will not have to deal with the aftermath of the visits anymore. I almost feel guilty for feeling that way, but we have put up with a lot of negative behavior and I know for sure it is associated with the visits and I always have. When the visits end, if Princess Tomorrow's behavior is markedly improved I will not be willing to resume frequent visits. Perhaps quarterly or yearly? I am not sure. It depends on a lot of different factors, not the least of which is mom staying in Denver. She has talked about moving back to New York when this is all over so we'll see it if is even an issue.



I won't miss newly stained clothes every Friday, that's for sure! I pack bibs-- even the kind that are smocks for painting-- in the diaper bag, but apparently they do not get used. I like to dress her in outfits that her mom has given her-- but if they are really cute clothes, and they often are, I don't want them to get stained. So I've resorted to sending her in clothes that are already stained, although not hideously so, or probably even apparent to most people. As my DH can tell you, I have a bizarre knack for remembering not only where/who every piece of her clothing is from but if it has a spot or tear on it, and how it came to be.

I plan to make Tomorrow's birth mom another photo album, but not the scrapbook I had considered making for her. For one thing, it's not done. And for another thing, the components (all from Close To My Heart) are so pretty and were so pricey that I want to keep it for our own family heirloom.

Once again, I am going to make the birth mom a photo album filled with pictures of Tomorrow being held and loved by her family members. I would like to include as many pictures as I can of her with extended family members, if that would be okay with you all. I will email you each individually for your permission-- but I know for sure I have some good photos of Aunt Jen and Nana with her that I would like to include.

I've been nodding off while typing this so I am going to collapse now!

Here are a few more pix of our little rock star wearing Ariel (Little Mermaid ) Princess sunglasses which were a gift from her birth mom...

TPR Ruling

Yesterday the judge terminated parental rights for all three of the younger girls.

He was supposed to give his ruling on the case at 3:30 but didn't start until almost 5 p.m. We sat through the reviews of a couple of other cases before ours.

The judge began by saying that he had received quite a few letters pertaining to the case, mostly in support of the foster parents of Tomorrow (that's us). He said that while he could not read them because it would not be fair and could bias him, his clerk did read them. He provided copies for the attorneys and the D.A. and they all read them. I hope that he will eventually be able to read them. I did not get around to writing a letter asking for him to TPR, but I do plan to write a thank you letter to him.

He began by telling the parents he was not going to make them sit and wait any longer for his decision. He came right out and said that his decision was to terminate their parental rights for all of the girls. Mom immediately burst into tears and was sobbing loudly, and I was bawling right along with her. The judge gave us some time to take a break and said while he would come back to explain his decision, the parents did not have to sit through his explanation. He said that no one would think any less of them if they did not want to sit through it, and that he would "not allow it". Mom left and I was right behind her. She stopped outside the courtroom and turned around, I think to see if her daughters were coming, and I was right there. She looked so sad and her face just crumpled up when she saw me. We hugged and she began sobbing harder as we were hugging. I could hardly speak I was crying so hard but squeaked out "I feel so sad for you," and "I am so sorry this is happening to you." I have never felt so much grief from one human being in one period of time. I have felt deep grief from people who have just lost someone-- including a boyfriend who lost his mother, and I was actually there when he received the phone call that she had passed-- but this was at least three times more intense, which makes sense if you think about it because she essentially lost three of her daughters yesterday. She told her daughters, "Come on," and they followed behind her slowly, not understanding what was happening. They had been standing there almost like deer in headlights, and I didn't realize at the time that they had no idea what had happened because they were not allowed in the courtroom. It didn't occur to me until later that someone should have explained to them what had just happened. I know I wouldn't have been able to because I literally couldn't speak. It was as if everything was happening so fast and yet in slow motion. Mom's attorney came out then and followed her. Hopefully she explained to the girls what happened and talked with mom. I didn't see what happened when she caught up to them. I just stood there watching mom and her three teenage daughters walk out of the building and thinking that it was the worst day of their lives. Mike came out into the hallway and I told him I wanted to go back in. I don't know why but at that point I felt like I really needed to hear what the judge had to say, that I myself needed to be reminded of why a mother had to lose her daughters and why it wasn't safe for them to be returned to their family of origin.

We didn't have to be there at all, and we didn't necessarily need to hear why he made his decision (especially because we sadly agreed with it). Nonetheless, I am so glad now that we stayed and listened as it was a very unifying experience. The way that he put the pieces of the case together in his own words and with his wisdom was amazing. He connected all of the dots, made connections between behaviors and outcomes, and shared his own insights that had not even been brought to light in the testimony. (E.g. Because mom herself had been abused and not believed, it made sense to him that when she was told her children had been abused she did not believe it at first and continued to question if they really had been and if the extent was so severe).

He was careful with his words but used an active voice in his writing. For example, when he reviewed the extent of Mara's injuries, he specifically stated how each fracture most likely occurred. While that was very difficult to listen to all over again, I am very satisfied that it is part of his ruling because he read it into the court record and it will be available to anyone who requests information about the outcome of the case. Like he said, "With regard to the skull fracture, she would have experienced blunt force trauma to her head," and, "With regard to her broken ribs, she would have been squeezed," and "With regard to her femur fractures, her legs would have been severely bent and twisted." So it was awful to hear again, and it made me need to hold Mara the second I got home, but it was very powerful. Even if someone had not heard any of the testimony except his judgement and summary, it would have been clear that in the end termination was truly the only available option. He did an excellent job of explaining and justifying his ruling in a way that was caring, clearly very well thought-out, humane, intelligent and necessary. I don't know how it would feel to be in the mother's shoes and if I would feel the same way, but having heard from the birth mom already through text messages today, she actually understands the ruling but does not feel that she was treated fairly by the Case Worker. She also said that she is planning to appeal. I do not know that she has any grounds for an appeal but I can understand why she feels like doing that right now.

The judge did not order a "Goodbye Visit" but asked for the Department (DHS, Denver Human Services) to coordinate one. I don't know when that will be but we did not have the regularly scheduled weekly visit this evening due to a conflict for the Case Aide. I hope some time passes before the goodbye visit. I think it would be best for mom to have some time to be very sad and then very angry, and to get a lot of her own emotions out before she interacts with the three girls.

It was a very emotional ruling, and I am still experiencing mixed emotions including: sadness for the birth mom and her entire family, relief that Mara will be able to remain with our family, and anxiety that the other girls futures are uncertain.

I need for you all to understand that while this is what we wanted-- this is literally what I personally hoped would happen-- it still isn't a joyous occasion for us. It was always our intention to adopt from foster care, and we knew that meant of course a birth family would first have to lose a child, but no book or person could have prepared us for what it would be like to experience this especially not as long as this case had dragged on (approximately eight months longer than we thought it would and than it should have according to laws pertaining to permanency planning).

I know this is what we wanted, and fought for, and asked for...but going through it is not what I expected. As much as it seems like an open and shut case, it's just not as easy or simple as it sounds. It is one thing to think about what is right, but it is another thing to experience it. I still feel like justice has not been served because no one has been charged with a crime, but that is a blog post in and of itself. There's so much more I need to say and write but right now I'm just overwhelmed. I feel so sad, yet relieved, grateful, humble, hopeful, anxious, excited, and exhausted. My neck feels like it cannot hold up my head, my heart aches, and my eyes are puffy and tired from crying and not sleeping well. I must have exchanged twenty-five text messages with Tomorrow's birth mom today, which brought me to tears for hours all over again. I will save her messages as long as I have my phone. Maybe I will even type them up here so I will have them forever.

Right now, I need a nap.

Letters & Circle of Prayers from Nana

Dear F**'s,
I made several copies of this (with the photo attached :-) ) and placed one in every Sunday school room at our church and at every entrance. The pastor also made an announcement during church. Several people came up to me and said their whole class prayed for Mara and will continue to do so. The Senior Saints class are going to meet in prayer at 3:00 Mountain time in corporate prayer on her behalf! Many told me of their intention to write Judge Woods. Also- one of Paul's Prayer Team members took a copy back to her church James Assembly (an awesome mega church in Springfield) J*****, so many people are praying specifically for your comfort and that you will find peace during your wait for the Judges decision.
I mailed my letter already also.....I am forwarding you a copy also.
with love and prayer, Mom
p.s. I sent His Honor a copy of the photo also :-)


Tomorrow Update
The Judge announced yesterday that he will be making his ruling on Thursday, June 11th at 3:30 pm. He has closed any further courtroom testimony- however is open to any letters concerning this decision.

Please continue to pray for the best outcome concerning this precious
little girl. If you feel moved to support them with a letter- I thank
you in advance.
A**** P****** (known to Tomorrow as "Nana")

You may send your letter to : Honorable Judge Woods, Division 2
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, Co.80202


For those of you who need refreshing on this situation:
Tomorrow was given to my daughter **** and her husband Mike for emergency
protective foster care at 5 weeks old. She had been hospitalized with 24
broken bones and put in a full body cast! To date no one has been
arrested or charged for her abuse. She is now 22 months old and healed
physically and emotionally.This hearing is hopefully to terminate the
biological parental rights and allow adoption of Tomorrow by my daughter and
her husband. The hearings have been going on since March. My daughter
and her husband are the only loving parents she has ever known in her
short lifetime. They are hoping to adopt her and we are all very anxiously
awaiting a good outcome.




May 27th, 2009

To: The Honorable Judge Woods, District Court, Division 2, Denver, Co. 80212

Dear Honorable Judge Woods,
I am writing concerning your decision regarding ****** ****** on Thursday June 11th At 3:30 pm.
I am known to this precious little girl as “Nana”. My daughter ******* and her husband Mike have had protective custody since she was placed with them at 5 weeks with 24 broken bones and in a full body cast. The minute my daughter called me about her Tomorrow entered my heart as my granddaughter. My husband and I have 15 grandchildren and another on the way. When I count our grandchildren Tomorrow is included. I have found it doesn’t matter how a child comes into your life you love them all the same and consider them a blessing. Since there has been no arrests or lawsuits and no one has been formally charged with her abuse , I trust you will not allow her to go back to that situation ..only to be abused again ….or worse. I don’t know about you but I have lost a lot of sleep over worrying about the future of our little Tomorrow should she be returned to her biological parent(s). The loving care and acceptance Tomorrow has received from us all has helped formed her into a healthy well-adjusted little girl. And my daughter and her husband should be credited with instinctively knowing just how to take care of her special needs. In this case she would only be further traumatized if she was to be removed from her foster parents home as they are the only loving parents she has known. I am enclosing a photo of myself and Tomorrow (that’s what we call T*****) taken this past Mother's Day at our celebration that included my mother and all three of my daughters. Even though I live in another state - we make it a point to stay close with our grandchildren and visit as often as possible…..as you can see from the photo Tomorrow and I are are bonded and share a loving grandparent/grandchild relationship. When I phone their home I can hear Tomorrow’s squeals of delight that Nana’s calling and my daughter says she runs to get the photo album I made for her with my photo in it. My husband and I have a very stable marriage and own a small propane delivery service and 170 acre farm in Missouri. We raise cattle and horses, and our small farm provides our family with fresh eggs and produce. We have 2 other grandchildren with special needs (autism and spina bifida) and our family is well equipped to provide the extra care,
support and attention these children and their parents require. I hope this provides you with a clear idea of how Tomorrow will benefit should you decide to terminate her biological parents rights and open her for permanent placement through adoption with her foster parents Mike and J****** F** . I thank you for your time and concern for this situation.
Sincerely, A** M. P*****

Letter from our Case Manager with Ariel Clinical Services

Friday, June 05, 2009

In regards to: Tomorrow ******

The Honorable Judge Woods

Denver Juvenile Court

1437 Bannock Street

Room 157

Denver, CO 80202





Dear Judge Woods,



I am writing this letter in regards to Tomorrow ******, who is living in the foster home of Mike and J**** F**. I am the Case Manager through the CPA and visit the home two times per month and have witnessed Tomorrow’s extraordinary growth over time. It is my understanding that your final judging will be on June 11 to determine if parental rights on Tomorrow will be terminated. I felt the need to write this letter because I feel strongly that Tomorrow should remain in the F** home on a permanent basis. Since being placed with Mike and J**** on October 12, 2007, Tomorrow has exceeded all expectations set out for her by doctors and therapists. Tomorrow has excelled in all of her developmental milestones, which I believe would not be the case if she were still with her biological parents. It is my understanding that no one has accepted responsibility for Tomorrow’s injuries occurred during the first five weeks of her life. It would be devastating to Tomorrow’s future developments to be returned to an environment that is the same as when she was removed. It seems unlikely that Tomorrow will be safe with her birth mother now since she has never accepted responsibility for Tomorrow’s injuries, nor made any attempt to discover what actually happened. How can Tomorrow be protected if her caregivers doubt that her injuries occurred and were as severe as reported by the treating doctors? Mike and J**** F** have provided Tomorrow with a stable, safe, and loving home that I believe is the reason for her astounding advances. They love her like their own child and Tomorrow is clearly bonded with them, which is evident by their interactions together. I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read my letter. Again, I can not say enough how strongly I feel that Tomorrow ****** should not be returned to her biological mother, but should remain with the only loving family she has ever known.



Respectfully,



Michelle P*****

Case Manager

Ariel Clinical Services

Letter from "Dr. Kiki"!

June 3, 2009

Honorable Judge Woods:

I am a pediatrician in the Foster Care Clinic at The Children’s Hospital. I am writing this letter on behalf of a very special patient of mine, Tomorrow ******.

I first met Tomorrow when she was 5 months old. She had been placed in Foster Care with J****** and Michael F** at 5-1/2 weeks of age. As you know, as a very young infant

Tomorrow suffered incredible traumatic injury, and is lucky to be alive. Over the past 16 months, I have watched this infant absolutely thrive under the care of her Foster Parents.

For example, pediatricians rely heavily on growth parameters in the first year of life as an indicator of overall health. When Tomorrow first presented to Children’s with her extensive injuries, she was at the 25% of weight for infant girls her age. Under J****** and Michael’s care, she has not only maintained this growth rate, but has accelerated, and now is close to the 50%. Her length/height has increased from the 25% to 75% during the same time. Finally, her head growth which reflects brain growth/development has increased from 10% to almost 50% - wow!

In addition, pediatricians follow developmental progress, especially in young infants. Tomorrow has reached her developmental milestones under Michael and J******’s care far ahead of infants her age, and even ahead of infants several months older. She is actually the most developmentally advanced infant I have ever seen in 15 years of practice/3 years of Residency. At 6 months, Tomorrow was crawling, pulling up to stand, pushing chair around the room, saying mama specifically and daddy specifically to J****** and Michael respectively, and saying several other words. Most infants do not achieve these milestones until 9-14 months of age. Again…wow!

Finally, the most important aspect of Tomorrow's healing, resilience, and ability to thrive is her very securely bonded relationship with her Foster Parents. She adores them, trusts them, and is willing to let herself flourish under their care. Any child who survived the trauma that

Tomorrow did as a young infant would expectedly and understandably be withdrawn, delayed, and unable to bond with adults for some time. Tomorrow has defied all of these sorts of expectations.

I truly believe this beautiful child who could have died at a very young age is in the most ideal home I can imagine to guarantee her success. She absolutely needs this consistent, loving, nurturing environment to become all that she has the potential to be in life.



Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. And thank you for your time.



Sincerely,

Kathleen (Kiki) Traylor, MD

Pediatric Physician, The Children’s Hospital Foster Care Clinic

Senior Manager, Government Affairs, Amgen Inc.

Former Colorado State Senator

And once again, a voice of reason is heard.

Today we had a visit from the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL). She has an assistant who has been doing home visits but I imagine she is required to visit herself from time to time.

She asked me the usual questions about how Tomorrow is doing and watched as I struggled to change her diaper and get her redressed and settled down for a bottle and a nap (the visit was right at nap time).

Then, she basically talked me out of having Tomorrow's sister in our home. She went over all of her negative behaviors: how she acts out sexually toward her foster brother and foster father, cusses people out, destroys property, fights violently with her sister, knocks over bookshelves, spits, throws things, you name it. She shared her concern that her outbursts would be very upsetting to our family. She said she is mostly concerned that Tomorrow would be negatively affected and that our boys would be as well. She also said the judge will most likely recommend that the other two girls are placed separately for adoption, which really breaks my heart while I do understand why.

Oh! She also explained why the judge did not go ahead with TPR on May 27th. Apparently he is extremely thorough and writes up a detailed account of his decision which he reads into the record. So that is why he keeps notes on his laptop and why he wanted time to make his decision. The GAL said she expects him to terminate parental rights for all three of the younger girls, and to expect that it will take some time while he explains his decisions with regard to each child in the case.

Then she went on and on about how well we are doing with Tomorrow and that felt really good. We don't get a lot of recognition-- not that any parents ever do really, but I mean as foster parents-- probably because we "only have the one foster child" and are seen by other foster parents as being inexperienced (even though we had two children before fostering), selfish and other such nonsense because we want to adopt.

All in all, it was a very reassuring visit. I feel somewhat relieved but also very sad that every professional who knows us and Tomorrow's sister does not think we should take her in. And not that she wouldn't do well in our home-- because it would be a definite upgrade for her-- but solely based on their opinions of what her presence could do to our family. We haven't even had a chance to have her over for a visit or respite. So while I want to believe the professionals who have worked with her and us, and there are definitely days when I feel like I am at the limit of my patience-- I still feel a tugging at my heart that means I haven't completely let go of the idea.

I think I may have let my strong desire to keep the two sisters together cloud my perspective and I couldn't see the forest for the two little saplings. It splinters my soul that a judge may recommend three sisters be separated, after all they have been through. But if it makes all three of the more adoptable, it can't be so bad. The GAL believes that the other two sisters would benefit from being only children due to their severe dysfunction with siblings, but it is still hard for me to accept as a sister myself. I keep trying to compare my family with theirs, but there is no comparison. Just like how I struggled with trying to understand how a mother could not know her baby was hurt, the bottom line was that the birth mom does not feel and think the way I do; and her daughters do not behave the way my sisters and I do. It is hard to imagine, but I believe in my heart that this particular set of people in DHS really do want what is best for these girls. According to the GAL, the judge is also looking ahead and realizing that it may be very difficult or even impossible to find a family who will adopt both of Tomorrow's sisters with their extreme behaviors and needs.

I wish we could be that family, but we have to put the three we already care for first...it's all I can imagine at this moment...just for today...for now.

So that's the latest. Bad news with good, as usual. Bittersweet as always.

Thank you in advance for not saying 'I told you so' even if you did.

Letter from Aunt J

The Honorable Judge Woods
Denver Juvenile Court
1437 Bannock Street
Room 157
Denver, CO 80202


CASE #: 2007
In the interest of: TOMORROW ******


Honorable Judge Woods,

I am writing this letter to express my sincere concern for the child named TTomorrow M***** (we call her M***) if she is to be reunified with her birth mother, Linda, and her “significant other” Stephen. I am Tomorrow’s foster Aunt, but you see, I don’t really even think of her as a foster child anymore. She is an amazing part of our family, she has bonded with me in ways that some of my blood relatives haven’t yet! I was there with my sister J**** and her family when they went to visit Tomorrow for the first time at Children’s Hospital. I have seen children in the hospital, in fact my own child was in the NICU for the first week of his life, but I had never seen anything like this in my life. The smallest child was lying alone in a bed/crib and yet you knew she wouldn’t come to any harm alone there as she was in a body cast from toe to sternum. No flowers were in the room, no sign of family concern, only the child. Alone. My sister J****** F** and her husband Michael F** then went on to care for and give therapeutic respite to this sweet child from that day forward.

Tomorrow was expected to walk with braces, have developmental disabilities, and even display severe attachment disorders. She is no such child. Because of the love and care my sister and her family have provided as if she were their own, she has thrived in ways we could never have predicted. She calls me “Ahh J” and I am so proud to be her Auntie. She is a special child and we all are so very concerned for her safety if she were to be returned to her biological family. She was abused at 3 to 5 weeks that resulted in 24 broken bones, what kind of abuse to what results could we expect at age 2, 3, and so on? I am a supporter of reform policies in our current system, but in this case, Tomorrow does not have the time to wait for this family to “reform”. She is completely bonded with the F Family, and her extended forever family (that’s us). I have seen firsthand how upset she becomes when separated from them (this is one piece of evidence we have to verify the effects of her abuse). I do not even want to imagine how severely traumatic it would be for her to be torn from the only family she knows. The F** Family would like to adopt Tomorrow ******, and I see no reason why they should not. In fact, I have heard that Linda M***** has approached the F**’s with such requests before. I truly believe that even Linda knows that Tomorrow would not be safe in her home. How can someone like Linda in one breath say that she has no idea how Tomorrow came to be so abused, and then in another breath plead with the foster family to adopt Tomorrow and her sister M****? She knows she should not be with her own daughters, that’s why! She cannot be trusted, because she must know what happened.

I know that you have many notes and have heard a lifetime of testimony on this case. I am appealing to you now as a personal witness to the positive people in this child’s life. The F** Family want to adopt Tomorrow more than even I will ever know. Please do not return this child to her biological family. The abuse cycle will perpetuate, and I just know this case would be back in front of you in less than a year.

Tomorrow M***** is in our hearts forever, no matter what you decide. I hope you are receiving many letters just like this one, to show just how much support the F** Family has for this noble cause. We are a large family, with a lot of love to spread around! I hope this letter did help you to see a personal side to the safe and happy life Tomorrow has with us. We love her so!


Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.


Best Regards,


J******* B******, sister to J******* F**, beloved aunt to Tomorrow M*****