Isabella and Grammie
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| Grampie and Austin before he was stolen
When the State step's in and takes a child, familial bonds are broken. Not only are the children's lives shattered, but so are all family member's. The trauma takes it's toll on the entire family. The children suffer due to the loss of the family member's they bonded with. Not just their Mother and Father, but their Grandparent's and Aunts, Uncles and Cousin's as well.
The children are thrust into a whole new world, without their family guiding their way. Wondering what they did wrong to deserve this punishment. Wondering why their family is no longer there for them, feeling unwanted and unloved. I can just imagine the pain these children are going through, day after day, longing for their REAL family. Wondering if they will ever see their REAL family again. The family they grew to love and shared that special bond with.
Not only does the child experience the pain and suffering at the loss of their family, so does the family member's who bonded with these children. The family member's who in some instances, helped deliver the child at birth. The family member's who aided the Mother's throughout their complicated pregnancies, just to make sure these children were born healthy. The Grandmother's who indeed bonded with these children, as if they were their own. Sang them lullabies, rocked them and made sure everything was prepared for their homecoming. Little did they know, their new grandchild would never come home. The grandchild would be stolen by the State, where relative placement is never considered. Where familial bonds mean nothing as far as the State is concerned. Where innocence means nothing and family member's get dragged in and slandered, though always denied standing in Court. Never allowed to speak. Never allowed to face their accuser's. Never allowed to be a "Party in the case". Never allowed or even considered custody of the child.
So yes, I know exactly what the children must be going through. My family's lives have been shattered along with my grandchildren. The pain is like no other. I go to bed thinking of my stolen grandchildren. I wake up thinking of my stolen grandchildren. I worry about them all the time. They are part of me. My blood runs through their vein's. With death there is closure. When a child is stolen, there is no closure. Our lives are not the same. The memories keep flowing. There's no way of stopping them. The pain is never ending. You can no longer function the way you used to. You can't do the things you used to. You can't bring yourself to do the things you used to do when your grandchildren were by your side. Their favorite toy's make you cry. Their hand prints they gave you stay hung on the wall's. Your wall's become a shrine, filled with their pictures, hoping and praying they will come home where they belong.
Our lives are definitely not the same. We no longer trust. We watch our backs and protect our family like a lion protects her cubs.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that our own Government would let anything so horrendous happen to our families. So yes, our lives are shattered. We are denied the right to raise our own family.
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