So Sad

I discovered this website this morning: http://savejacksonbortz.blogspot.com/ It chronicles the struggle of a family to get their 3 year old son back home with them after the area DFCS (Dept. of Family and Child Services?) took him and placed him in a foster home. This happened because the boy's baby brother died after a terrible accident. I do not know the details of it, but one news report said that he died from having a fractured skull after his mother accidentally dropped him. As I heard that, a flood of emotions came over me for these parents - this mother. I do not need to imagine what she is feeling right now, I know.

When my baby girl (now 2 yo) was 4 weeks old, I accidentally dropped her. She was in a homemade baby sling and as I adjusted it, she dropped out onto my hard kitchen floor. I sensed something was really wrong when after about 30 seconds of extreme wailing, she instantly quieted and wanted to go to sleep and not be roused. I raced her to the ER where she had a MRI (not a pleasant experience for either of us). After waiting (and waiting and waiting) the doctor came in and told me that she had a fractured skull. I cannot tell you the amount of sorrow, distress and GUILT that I felt about this. The kicker was when the hospital's social worker came in and informed me that she would have to report the incident to Child Protective Services. She assured me that this was required anytime there was an injury of this nature on someone less than 2 years old and that she was not reporting that there appeared to be any reason to believe abuse was involved. Abuse! The idea that someone could actually think that this happened willfully horrified me!

I spent the night in the hospital with her (for observation) and we were able to return home the next day. Thankfully, an x-ray 6 weeks later showed that the fracture had healed. Praise GOD! The doctor could not even SEE where the fracture had been! It wasn't until after that point that I could start letting go of the guilt I had for allowing this to happen to my dear child.

So, I read about this other family in Georgia. Not only is this mother feeling this guilt, but it is exponentiated by the fact that her baby died. The loss must be incredible! Then her case is labeled a "non-accident" and her 3 year old son is taken away from her, too. Since this time, the family has been allowed 1 hour of supervised visitation with him and cannot see him for like 2 more weeks! They do not know where he is other than in a foster home and have heard that he is depressed, not eating and running a fever. I know how I would feel if I were in this other mother's shoes. I have been too close and I shudder to think of the what if's. What if my precious baby had died or suffer brain damage? What if our home life had been investigated and our other children taken away? I thank God that He protected us during this trying time!

My hearts aches for this mother especially! Even though I do not know the details of their circumstances, I do know that they need prayers. This mother (her name is Rachel) needs to be blanketed in the warmth of God's love through our prayers. They pain she must be going through has got to be awful!