PRESS RELEASE
September 14, 2007
OriginsUSA is a national organization dedicated to Family Preservation,
justice and education for families separated by adoption.
As such, we are in full support of the efforts of Jayni Anderson, Utah, as
she fights to know all of the details of the death of her infant daughter
28 years ago, for the right and to know where the child is buried, as
reported in The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept 20, 2007.
OriginsUSA also supports Anderson in changing agency policy and
regulations that prevent sharing the truth of such vital information as
the death of child. According to Anderson representatives of the agency,
LDS Family Services, told her that her daughter was "fine" when she
inquired.
OriginsUSA is opposed to all secrecy in adoption as detrimental to all of
the parties to the adoption. Bernadette Wright, PhD, president of
OriginsUSA states: "Secrecy and lies in adoption policy are counter to the
best interest of the children being placed and their families, and serve
only the interests of those whose livelihoods depend on adoption
placements, and those who pay the fees to keep agencies operating in the
black."
OriginsUSA is opposed to posthumous adoptions, legal in the state of Utah.
The practice is a cruel fraud. "Likewise," reports Wright, "denying the truth to a mother who has surrendered is an inhumane procedure based on the false belief - and
hope - that mothers who surrender walk away and forget, which they do not.
A mother is a mother forever. No paper changes that fact of life."
It was because Anderson never forgot, and was forever wondering and
concerned about her daughter's welfare, that she kept her contact address
updated. It was during one of these visits, when the agency informed her
that her daughter had died, allegedly of SIDS, at six months of age. It
has yet to be determined if the adoption had taken place and/or was
finalized at that time.
Anderson, who is adopted, has fought for adoptee rights in Utah and
through her reunion discovered that she is one-half Sioux. Not knowing
the fate of her first child and believing in the "goodness" of adoption,
she placed two other children, a decision she now regrets. She requested
that her two sons be placed together, but they were not, and now endures
the pain of severe concern for their welfare.
Anderson is planning to sue agency to get all of the records regarding her
daughter's death, and wants to see legislation is place so that other
mothers will not be denied the truth of their children like this.
The Board of Directors, OriginsUSA
Origins-USA.org
CONTACT: Mirah Riben, PR Chair, OriginsUSA, PR@Origins-USA.org, 732-329-3769
No comments:
Post a Comment