Hope

I am a retired registered nurse. I have worked in hospitals, home care agencies, a health dept., and hospice. I enjoy helping people. I am a nurturer. I love animals and children. I have adopted two small children who are also my great grandchildren. Both of them have ADHD and sensory integration problems. Both are on medication for the ADHD. My son has emotional and mental problems relating to his birth mother and anger about her giving him away. He has been in counseling for years. He is 11 years old. Both of my children have been removed from our home and are in DCS custody. We have had to battle with DCS for 2 years now trying to get our son back. Our daughter, age 7, is in a foster home. We have only seen her once for 2 hours in the last 6 weeks. We live on 49 acres in a triple wide modular home. We have everything here a child needs, but DCS always thinks they know what chlldren need more than parents. We go to court about once a month. We can't afford a lawyer. We don't qualify for a court appointed lawyer, although we live mostly off social security, because our income is too high. WE can't get legal aid because they won't touch a DCS case. So we have no attorney. We go to court and we just let them tell us what to do next. The stress of having both kids removed has caused me to be hospitalized for cardiac testing. They tell me it is all due to stress. I love my kids. I want them back. I have put it all in God's hands now. I am incapable of doing anything myself to get them back.

reply to Joe's mom