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Pharma's McCarthy-ism in Full View

UPDATE: Canadian Mother's Story: Is There Justice in Quebec?

Canada photo

By Anne Dachel
 
On May 20, 2013, I watched a disturbing video from Canadian TV News
about a single mother of four adopted special needs children (2 have autism). The Dept. Youth Protection in Quebec suddenly seized her nonverbal 8 year old son who is still in diapers and 12 year old daughter while they were at school last Sept.  Both children have multiple health issues related to their disabilities. 
 
Her 8 year old son was taken into custody by 3 DYP workers on Sept 13, 2012 and placed in foster care but returned to her one month later.   A Quebec judge had ruled that they had no justification for taking him in the first place.  After that, the mother took the three children and moved an hour away in Ontario to protect them and get better services. (She's about one mile from the Quebec border now.)  Then in March 2013, the Quebec DYP workers came to her home in Ontario at 6:30 in the evening and took her 8 year old back into custody and removed him to Quebec.  She was never shown any authorization. 
 
I wrote this story last week.
 
I've been in almost daily contact with the mother who's still living in Ontario with her two older children and she's told me about even more about the egregious action being taken against her two younger children.
 
I asked her for an update:
 
Have you been allowed any contact with your children?
 
I was allowed to go to Quebec to accompany the children to their doctor visits.  I was also allowed 2 ten minute supervised phone calls per week to my 12 year old daughter.  During one phone call, I allowed my 17 year old daughter to talk to her sister briefly.  This was not permitted and the phone call was immediately ended.  As a result, I lost the right to call her and I was told that I could no longer attend doctor visits.  However, my daughter's doctor sent me a letter telling me it was imperative that someone who knew her health history be at the next appointment.  When I got to the hospital, I was allowed to see my daughter, but then I was told I had to leave.
 
I had been allowed see my 8 year old son at his doctor's visits.   It is considered a "medical right" that I be involved in my children's health care because I am their legal mother.  This is especially important because my son is autistic and non-verbal so he can't tell me how he's doing.  Both his doctor and I became very concerned about changes in his behavior since being placed in foster care.  He began suddenly hitting himself repeatedly on his hands as if he's punishing himself for something.  He's done this in front of the doctor and myself and others.  His doctor, Chantel Giguere, wrote a letter to the DYP about this and nothing happened.  Barbara Webster, a nurse who is involved with my son, wrote a 24 page report about the care both of my children have received.  (Both the doctor and the nurse have come forward to speak about what's happening to these children.)   Webster contacted various officials and suddenly I learned my son had been moved to a different foster home and I was told it was because of "administrative purposes." 
 
I'm equally concerned about what's happening to my 12 year old daughter in foster care.  She is a "Little Person" and is only 3 feet tall.  She's living in a foster home with 9 other children, and several of them are boys between 12 and 16.  My daughter is left home in the care of these boys.  Several times she's said, "Mommy, they babysit me."
 
I'm also worried about my daughter's weight.  She gained almost 3 pounds in just a little o ver two weeks after school ended. This is really important because she is a "Little Person."  All her life we watched her weight closely. Yearly, she has never gained more than 1 pound because she grows only 1 centimeter. Now that she is 12 her height will not change since her spinal fusion.
  
This mother's case sadly is not an isolated one in Canada. 

 
In Feb, 2012, CBC News aired the report, Canadian foster care in crisis, experts say--Some children placed in homes before safety checks made
 
Also in Feb, 2012, CBC had this stunning report on abuse in foster care. 

CBC News has learned a Quebec Human Rights Commission investigation is raising serious concerns about foster children across the province.

The commission's investigation was sparked by "Robert", a former foster child whose real identity is protected under the Youth Protection Act.

Robert alleges experiencing years of sexual abuse in his former foster home.

Robert, now 17, currently lives with his biological mother, and wants to return to school. But he's decided to share his story in the hopes it may help protect someone else....

Robert alleges his foster father sexually abused him, soon after he was placed in that home, north of Montreal, in the Laurentians.

This area is where this mother's two child now live in foster care.

I also found a report from March, 2013, shown on Alberta Prime Time TV:  It's about Samantha's Law, legislation that resulted from a special needs child dying in foster care in Canada. It protects parental custody rights for special needs children in foster care.

July 8, 2013, Sun News Video: Mother in Anguish


We're told the Children's Aid Society in Canada "wields immune power with very little accountability."

CAS has control of the 2 children of the mother in the story.

News anchor: "There's a Dark Side to the CAS"

The mother I spoke to is now in contact with groups in Canada that support this law and she hopes it will help bring her children home.  Since my first story came out, the mother has heard from more people throughout Canada who are supportive of her cause.

 I was on Skype with the mother in the basement of her parents' home in Ontario on July 16.  Listen to her talk about what's happening to her children in the custody of youth authorities in Quebec. (Her 17 year old daughter also speaks at the end of the 3 minute video.)

 Because of Quebec law, we couldn't show her face or use the names of her children.



 
 Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.

Comments

aline

A year ago, I discovered Mehdi's story. Mehdi is a prisoner of his own mind because he is heavily medicated in Risperdal and he is a prisoner of the Quebec youth protection services.

Medhi is a little boy aged 10. He was born in Quebec from an Algerian mother who is engineer and a father whose own goal is to destroy his wife through their son Medhi.

The story is very long to tell, but Mehdi’s mother and grand-mother have been fighting for since 2008 to have him back home.

When he was 2 years old, Mehdi had a speech delay which was transformed after some years to the diagnosis of autism. The mother never believed in this diagnosis after plenty of medical evaluations which do not correspond to autism. Unfortunately, with the help of Quebec youth protection services and the father, Medhi was heavily medicated and is now prisoner of his mind and ... of the Quebec youth services.

He could sing and talk when he was 4, he does not talk anymore at the age of 10 because of the heavy medication.

He was happy when living with his mother, he does not smile anymore.

You can see plenty of video from this child until the age of 4 when he lived with his mother :

At the swimming pool :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=676042285810453

Medhi playing :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=672721239475891&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

Mehdi biking :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=672712819476733&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

Mehdi does not want to go to school (after a week’s holiday spent with his mother... the father has the custody of Medhi and after he will let him go to the social services, he says he wants to die).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=671817139566301&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

Mehdi wants to eat and open the fridge :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=671810552900293&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

Mehdi playing with his cousin :

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=671797209568294&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

Mehdi playing with a puzzle

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=671615552919793&set=vb.645774755503873&type=2&theater

How is Mehdi now?

From a smiling baby to a zombie...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=171202709740790

Summer 2010 : Mehdi is “frozen” because of Risperdal. He cried all the time after he was separated from his mother (and given to the father fist who left him after to the social services) and became very anxious. As a response, doctors gave him risperdal and restricted the visits of his mother (from 2 hours per week to one 30 minutes a month).

Summer 2010 : after 9 months in Risperdal, Mehdi lost his speech and became incontinent (he was not any more since the age of 2).

In the last slides, you can see how is Mehdi now.

This is the Facebook page of the mother : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Soutien-à-lenfant-drogué-au-Risperdal-et-enlevé-à-sa-mère-par-le-DPJ/645774755503873

As a mother, I consider it’s a crime against this child!

As a mother, I consider that medication is for curing people not for destroying them.

As a mother, I consider that it is a great scandal that a child goes to school with heavily handicapped people although he has a normal intelligence. If he lost his speech, it’s because of Risperdal.

His mother and grand-mother are reliable persons who are ready to take him back home. Whatever the situation, it is absolutely inconceivable that doctors don’t let the child develop normally or improve his skills. Because of Risperdal, Mehdi cannot write or read. They consider him as a laboratory animal testing a medication on him.

What can we do now?

In whatever language, support the mother in a Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Soutien-à-lenfant-drogué-au-Risperdal-et-enlevé-à-sa-mère-par-le-DPJ/645774755503873

And if you have experience in giving media coverage to this scandal, don’t hesitate to let her know!

video of Mehdi on youtube before and after medication https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn9T1HwjFNY

http://histoiredegregoire.over-blog.com/article-the-story-of-medhi-124403863.html

Carter's Daddy

Quebec is a seriously backward place.

Velvet Martin


Is there justice ANYWHERE in Canada? - Velvet Martin

- July 3, 3:45 PM

Is there justice in Quebec? http://www.ageofautism.com/2013/07/is-there-justice-in-quebec-special-needs-children-taken-from-home.html#comment-captcha I'll answer with a similar query with the following cases which foll...ow across Canada:
Is there justice in British Columbia? There a single father, Derek Hoare, of 3 children (2 with Autism) has had one removed for more than 2 years - his daughter Ayn van Dyk- "to lighten his load" and although ministry reveals no child protection issues exist.
Is there justice in Alberta? Samantha Martin, born with a rare chromosome disorder (Tetrasomy 18p Syndrome) and Autism was moved out of home to achieve access to required medical supports through government funding otherwise unavailable to natural family. However, was not presented to a physician for a period of 3 years, nor did a caseworker visit for over a year to check upon the child. Samantha had been viewed on her 3rd birthday by medical professionals who suspected a seizure disorder existed and advised investigation of symptoms. In fact, throughout her life other authorities raised similar concern, but the placement opted not to seek consultation and social-worker simply assumed intervention was sought so did not follow through to ensure the child received appropriate medical follow-through. Samantha died at the age of 13 years from cardiac arrest.
Is there justice in Ontario? Where the Provincial Ombudsman has written a report, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" to highlight the crisis faced by hundreds of families of children with disability such as Autism who are being forced to surrender custody in order to access necessary supports. See the case of Anne Larcade and son, Alexandre, who fought back with a Class Action Law suit.
Is there justice in Nova Scotia? There, Maurina Beadle, is challenging the government to adhere to its own Policy - Jordan's Principle - to provide medical care for her son, Jeremy who has special needs. Jurisdictional dispute regards to level of government responsible for payment for medical care of a First Nations child must not be at the expense of health.
Across Canada, there has been no such thing as justice or accountability towards infringement of basic human rights and the Charter. How do I know? I am the mother of the deceased child mentioned; my daughter's legacy is SAMANTHA'S LAW: http://www.albertaprimetime.com/Stories.aspx?pd=4894
The Child, Youth and Family Act of Alberta now indicates that families must not be coerced into relinquishing custody in order to receive required medical services; supports must be offered directly in-home to families. Legislation must be developed Nationally to better secure the needs of individuals with diversity and loving families.
Sincerely,
Velvet Martin, Spokesperson for Protecting Canadian Children http://www.protectingcanadianchildren.ca/ Founder of SAMANTHA'S LAW
International Day of persons with disability, December 3rd: Celebrating the life of Samantha Lauren Martin, June 4th 1993 - December 3rd 2006.

Deb Ellis

Why is this legal? Since when are our children allowed to be stolen AND abused? Oh yeah, that's right! It's been going on all along right under our noses.....ie. Residential schools, Catholic priests at orphanages, etc, etc...

cold welfare

Part of the problem is that it is necessary for the state to be able to intervene in the welfare of children but so often tragically it just makes things worse. Also, people don't like to be wrong, so it just deteriorates if they have made errors in the first place - and only in very unusual circumstances does anyone really care more about a child than it parents, however fallible. This is before we get into parent blame for adverse medical events,Munchausen accusations, trafficking for adoption, abuse in hostelries.

Of course, many people in the field are trying to do their best but it so often trails off into psychological cruelty and disaster. It is a field which needs lots of kindness and good sense, but unfortunately it often attracts the headstrong.

oy vey, oy vey

You never cease to amaze me either. I love you to pieces for all your hard work and your uncompromised compassion for others. What a tragic story.
Maurine

Anne Dachel

It's hard to imagine why the mom in Canada is being treated like she is. It's an egregious form of abuse to take disabled children away from the only mother they've ever known. Her crime is probably the public statements she's made criticizing Youth Protection in Quebec. No charges have been made because they can't substantiate anything. Her record is spotless. She's truly a dedicated woman who cares deeply about children. At the time she began adopting her kids she was a foster mother to two native American twin boys for two and a half years until their father was able to take care of them. She also cared for a newborn baby for 10 days until long term care was found.

She worked for the DYP for 25 years as respite, foster care, and an adoptive home. None of that mattered to them when they took her two children without warning.

Anne

Anne Dachel

John, you're absolutely right about this not being just a Canadian problem. It's everywhere. Watch this news report from ABC7 in Detroit. This was two years ago.

Mother Faces Down Swat Team & Tank For Refusing to Drug Daughter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hIlo7KD2L0

This is really a frightening overreach of government authority.

Anne

John Stone

Anne

You never cease to amaze me with your reach. I quipped a few weeks ago that there must be three of you, but I actually think there is an army - but it is an army that only cares for people.

Terrible, terrible stories. It happens in Canada, but unfortunately it happens everywhere else too. Will we ever get to grips?

John

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