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This blog was a backup for American Indian Adoptees blog
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If you need support

Support Info: If you are a Survivor and need emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: Residential School Survivor Support Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional Health Support Information: Emotional, cultural, and professional support services are also available to Survivors and their families through the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program. Services can be accessed on an individual, family, or group basis.” These & regional support phone numbers are found at https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ . MY EMAIL: tracelara@pm.me

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

PENN STATE SCANDAL - Sandusky also an adopter

WTF? Does it really go that high up the food chain?

BLOG.AMYADOPTEE.COM published "WTF? Does it really go that high up the food chain?" on 11/15/2011 written by Amy Adoptee.


I have been paying attention to the "child molestation charges against Sandusky" news. I want to try and steer the negative implications away from the university, Penn State. The entire school isn't bad. Their athletic department leaves much to be desired. My concerns, however, have always been with The Second Mile charity established by Jerry Sandusky. They are a foster care type of agency that allowed a pedophile run amok with the children charged in their care. Sandusky and his wife even adopted a child from that agency. I find it hard to believe that no red flags came up at all. Ironically even the Westboro Baptist Church got it right this time.

Let's look at the characters involved in this melodrama. Sandusky is of course the disgusting perp in this mess. Paterno is the coach. McQueary is the grad student who saw Sandusky getting his kicks with a young boy. Tim Curley and Gary Schultz supposedly covered it up. Graham Spanier was President of the university at the time all of this happened. Jim Calhoun was another witness that has "dementia." Wendell Courtney worked as counsel for both the university and The Second Mile charity (DING DING DING).

Ironically the charity is now being represented by the former Philadelphia district attorney, Lynne Abraham to represent them because Wendell Courtney (see above DING DING DING) resigned last week.

Ray Gricar (DING DING DING) went missing and was recently declared dead this past July. However, his disappearance raises questions on a major level as another blogger suggested. Believe me, it entered my brain too. He did not prosecute this case when it could have been stopped but he also did not prosecute a football player, Scott Paxson,for rape either. It could have been for a lack of evidence but also his brother also committed suicide too.

Finally someone at the state level is looking into The Second Mile Charity. The heat brought about the resignation of Jack Raykovitz. The governor of Pennsylvania is a calling for an investigation into the agency. Finally! They need to be investigated fully and totally. Every one of their donors need to be investigated and fully vetted. This agency allowed a pedophile around children who needed protection not more abuse. He is rumored to have even pimped those children to some of the rich donors. Bad thing is that this agency probably had connections in Texas as well as New York.

Interestingly, another article points out a certain judge and her ties to The Second Mile organization. She let Sandusky post a $100,000 unsecured bail when the state was asking for $500,000 at least. He does not have to wear any kind of leg monitor or be monitored at all. She donated to The Second Mile Program and even participated in its events. Geez, I think that is a conflict of interest there, sweetie! According to news articles, she is now being investigated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to see if her capabilities as a judge and her involvement with the Second Mile might force her to recuse herself from the bench.

As far as NBC's interview with Sandusky, he admits to showering with these boys. Excuse me, that is even dangerously close to sexual abuse. I would be uncomfortable if my teacher or someone that I respected did that with me. He even sounds pervy in the interview with that soft voice. EWWWWWWW!

Permalink: blog.amyadoptee.com/2011/11/15/wtf-does-it-really-go-that-high-up-the-food-chain.aspx

[A 10-year-old child does not initiate sexual contact with an adult - Sandusky is a pedophile, despite what he said this morning on NBC ...Trace]

Monday, November 14, 2011

Effects of American Indian boarding schools still linger today

archival photo
At a conference at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center last month, more than 140 health and human service workers listened to Anderson’s presentation on the boarding schools and the negative effects they still have on Indian people today. Anderson was one of more than 120 to present at the 2011 St. Louis County Health & Human Service Conference October 10 and 11.
By: Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff, for the Budgeteer News (Duluth, Minnesota)
Duluth News Tribune

While giving her talk, Susan Anderson, a student in the social work department at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, projected historical images of American Indian children who had been taken from their parents and placed in boarding schools. This photo was taken four months after the children first arrived at the school.
Susan Anderson projected the slide of an American Indian boarding school onto a screen. She looked out into the audience and asked, “Who of you would enjoy going to school here? You can just imagine what these young children experienced.”
At a conference at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center last month, more than 140 health and human service workers listened to Anderson’s presentation on the boarding schools and the negative effects they still have on Indian people today. Anderson was one of more than 120 to present at the 2011 St. Louis County Health & Human Service Conference October 10 and 11.
Anderson, who has researched the topic as part of her master’s of social work concentration at the University of Minnesota Duluth, presented a slideshow with interviews and photos of the schools. She said her mother attended one of schools, which she described as militaristic and run like prisons.
"I knew my mom loved me,” she said, “but she didn’t know how to show it. She didn’t know how to hug me.”
Anderson went on to illustrate how children as young as five were torn from their families and placed in the schools. The boarding school philosophy, she said, was “kill the Indian, save the man,” the legacy of which continues to affect Indian people today.
“Even if you are a native person and you don’t understand historical trauma, you are still affected by it,” she said. “It’s intergenerational.”
Anderson said that the U.S. government hoped American Indians would abandon their culture and assimilate. She said that brainwashing techniques were used at the schools.
“On the fateful day of Oct. 6, 1869, Col. Richard Pratt opened the first boarding school in Carlyle, Penn.,” Anderson said. “It was modeled after a prison,” she said, projecting a slide of it on a screen, “And it looks like a prison.”
Anderson showed a short film about how American Indian children were forcibly separated from their families and punished whenever they spoke their native language, even if they didn’t know English.
But Pratt showed off his work, using before-and-after photographs to raise money for Indian schools, pronouncing that he took the Indian children from barbarian to civilization.
“Four months later, they don’t even look like the same kids,” Anderson said. “They’ve had their haircuts; stripped of their Indian names….They just lost everything within four months.
She then showed an interview with an American Indian man who attended boarding schools in North Dakota between the mid-1960s and early 1970s.
“I got hit so much I lost my tongue ... I lost my native tongue,” the man said as he wept. “They beat me. Every day they beat me. They cut off my hair…”
Anderson added that there was physical and sexual abuse at the schools. “They were degraded,” Anderson said.
Of herself, she said, “I’m proud to be who I am, and…..you know that impression, what we receive from the outside is bad.” But, she added, “I know that I have some internalized depression. It’s a shame and disowning of our individual and cultural reality. We take what they say and make it a part of us.”
Charles Lussier, a job counselor for the Minnesota Chippewa tribe whose grandmother was sent to the boarding school, attended her talk.
“I suffer from historical trauma,” he said. “I connected the dots one day and realized what had happened.”
He said that he was two generations removed from the boarding school experience, going back to the 1920s, but that it “had such a profound effect on our family.”
Lussier said that the boarding school experience of previous generations may be the cause of current day problems for some individuals. “The native guy may not be able to put his finger on what is wrong,” he said. “Learning to heal the wounds began a generation or two previously might be a start.”
SOURCE: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/214447/

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Privacy and Adoptees


Privacy and Adoptees: Middle School
From Joy's Division on 11-9-11:
...I can’t believe I am making another post. I can’t believe after the kajillion words I have posted in the last few days that I am so compelled to post again.


My days have been so argumentative and didactic and I hate didactic, I am a party-girl at heart and cocktail parties thrive on funny jokes and a complete lack of moral teachings. Fuck moral teachings, but man God has laid plenty on my heart about this, and by God I mean, accountability and responsibility.

Some agro-adoptive parents have noted that I have criticized them a lot and not noted how they could better improve their standard.

Okay, this is key: PRIVACY

Read the rest here:

http://joy21.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/privacy-and-adoptees-middle-school/

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Adoption Truth: NO Vember

 This list I totally agree with! Adoption Truth: "No" Vember

As part of Adoption Awareness Month, here is another blog ADOPTION TRUTH you must read. There are many amazing adoption-related blogs out there now in cyberspace!  Check out my favorites in the left column. Sign up for our blogs by email and RSS feeds. Please COMMENT, too! It really helps me and other bloggers when you share it on Twitter and Facebook - we LOVE you when you do this...
Thank you everyone for reading... Trace

Friday, November 11, 2011

Blue Hand Books: 11-11-11 - Interview with our author JOHN CHRISTIA...

Blue Hand Books: 11-11-11 - Interview with our author JOHN CHRISTIA...: Author John C. Hopkins (Narragansett) TWILIGHT OF THE GODS published on11-11-11 on Kindle Welcome to our first interview with John Chri...

North Carolina reunion of mother and son

Family reunited after decades

http://www.myfox8.com/videogallery/65980732/News/Adopted:-Family-Reunited-After-Decades

November 9, 2011


Three years after North Carolina changed its laws to give adoptees access to more information about their parents, families are still reuniting at a steady pace.

In the video above, Sheeka Strickland introduces us to a mom and her son who had lived completely separate lives for decades.

Before 2008, state laws prohibited most information from being released to either party, even with consent. The law changed again a year ago to allow people to get a death certificate from relatives who passed away.

Thursday night at 10, Sheeka will introduce us to a woman who used an Internet search angel to find her birth mother. Copyright © 2011, WGHP-TV

What strikes me is how expensive it is in North Carolina for an adoptee or natural parent to make connections - and there is a backlog of those requesting reunion. This has to be corrected - it should cost us NOTHING - we need reunion to heal....Trace

Thursday, November 10, 2011

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs

Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.



Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...

[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum: Like father, like son...John Jandali and Steve Job...: Jandali and Jobs
Before his death earlier this week, Steve Jobs and his natural father never met, according to news reports.

Since it is Adoption Awareness Month, let's read more ADOPTEE BLOGS and FIRST MOTHER FORUMS!  Check out my favorite blogs in the left hand column!
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...



Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...

Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...

Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...

Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...

Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!

Real Daughter: Flesh peddling for Joseph Smith!: Apparently, there are official prompts for those of us participating in nablopomo . Today's prompt is : "If you knew that whatever you a...

Warning: this blog post will make you think!

Monday, November 7, 2011

STUDY on Adoption Reunions by Eileen Skahill

Master Thesis Project on Adoption Reunions by Eileen Skahill

Date: 21 Oct 2011

As part of a Master Thesis in Sociology, the principal researcher is looking for adoptees who have been in reunion for longer than four years. The researcher would like to obtain participants who are currently in an adoption support group, and participants who currently are not.  The research is qualitative in design and would require participation in open ended interviews roughly 30-90 minutes in length. The research focus relates to the participants' experiences/relationships with their natural siblings and other extended family members, rather than their experiences with their natural parents. This study is IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved requiring a signed consent form. All participants will be guaranteed anonymity.  If you are willing to participate, please contact Eileen Skahill at:  eileenskahill@yahoo.com or 719-510-5109. 

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Good news in New York State

Assemblyman David Weprin calls for change in state to give adoptees access to their birth records                                                                                                            

Change would help track family and medical issues

Sunday, November 6 2011, 6:38 PM
 
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
Norman Y. Lono/NORMAN Y. LONO
Nov 6, 2011 - Manhattan, NY
State Assemblyman David I. Weprin on Sunday called for a change in state law that bars adoptees from seeing to their birth records.
Weprin said he is sponsoring the “Adoptees Bill of Rights” bill to give adoptees access to their birth certificate and medical records once they turn 18. Weprin said birth records are sealed and kept by the state Department of Health once someone is adopted.
"This bill would allow adoptees, when they turn 18, access to their original birth certificate,” Weprin, joined by adoptive advocates, said Sunday on the steps of City Hall. “It is time these archaic laws be amended to reflect our current reality.”
Adult adoptees must go through the courts to get their records - a costly move with no guarantee of success, adoptive advocates said.
“They are the only classification of persons that have no right to their birth information,” said Ellyn Essig, legal advisor for Unsealed Initiative, a group fighting for adoptee access to birth records. “All we’re looking for is equal footing with everybody else.”
Larry Dell, 63, of Maplewood, N.J., discovered he was adopted four years ago, and said changing the law would help him find his family.
“I would get my original birth certificate with the names of my parents,” Dell said. “That’s what I need. That’s the missing piece.”
Weprin said the bill has wide bipartisan support, and he anticipates a vote when the assembly goes back into session in January. Seven other states have passed similar legislation.
Weprin said access to birth records wasn't only a human right, but it allows adoptees to find out their family medical history.
Adoptee Joel Vergun, 51, agreed. Vergun said finding his birth mom, Jill Auerbach, 68, of Poughkeepsie, was the difference between life and death.
“There's a serious history of heart disease in my family,” Vergun said. “Because she found me eight years ago, I went and had some tests done that I wouldn't have known to do otherwise. They found a couple of conditions, which were treated, which would have caused me to have an arrhythmia, which would have caused my heart to suddenly stop like it did my birth father. She saved my life.”
November is National Adoption Month.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/assemblyman-david-weprin-calls-change-state-give-adoptees-access-birth-records-article-1.973061#ixzz1d2Nz424j

Friday, November 4, 2011

Things In Life That Are Really Really Awful

Things are heating up in Adoption Bloggerland: Read these posts:

Things In Life That Are Really Really Awful « Joy’s Division

http://eag-oncewasvon.blogspot.com/2011/11/twenty-fun-things-to-do-with-adoptees.html

The comment I made on Von's blog yesterday (on her Nov. 3rd post) bears repeating:

I attended the international adoption conference in Boston last year and one of the major points stated throughout was DO NOT BLOG about your adopting a child. DO NOT BLOG about the child (or children) at all. That child will grow up and find the blog by her adoptive mother and read these highly personal details. It is a violation of the child's right to privacy. (I envision lawyers lining up to sue a-parents for this infraction.) Obviously young adoptees do not arrive with a written warning - do not blog about me - it's not in our paperwork or in the adoption decree.


There are adopters out there who read your blog Von - I do hope they hear this message loud and clear.

I am an adoptee and clearly I always wanted more information about my identity than the nonsense I received from my adoptive parents.

If I read details of how they adopted me on a public blog and if they mention my natural parents and my ancestry and the how or why I was given up - I would throw up first then call an attorney.


AND FINALLY - here is a good reason to celebrate Adoption Awareness Month in NOVEMBER 2011:  AWARENESS= BLOGS=CHANGE:
http://www.declassifiedadoptee.com/2011/11/things-to-celebrate-during-national.html

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda



Please read:

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...



This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!


November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee"

"Pro-advocating-for-what's-right-when-it's-the-right-thing-to-do." - Amanda

Please read:
The Declassified Adoptee: When "Pro-Adoption" Becomes "Anti-Adoptee": I have a friend who is the son of an adoptee who is interested in Adoptee Rights and Adoption Reform. The other day, I was talking to ...

This ad rocks! From Amanda's blog!

November is touted as Pro-Adoption Month...
watch for my guest blog on her blog, soon...

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

REUNION - a good friend in the news in Toronto! 60s Scoop Survivor


Debby's photo was used in an adoption brochure in 1956
IN THE NEWS: Debby Poitras Precius Reunion:

Metis siblings have 1st meeting

A Métis brother and sister separated decades ago when they were small children had an emotional first meeting in Toronto Monday.
Here is the link:
in video section of CBC news
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Local_News/Toronto/1317912017/ID=2163160192
Debby is in our book SPLIT FEATHERS: TWO WORLDS! We hope to have a publisher SOON!

URGENT Update for Illinois Adoptees from Melisha Mitchell

check your bookstore for this book!
DO NOT MAIL IN OBC REQUESTS BEFORE 11/15!!!     

November 1, 2011
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE WIDELY!!!!!

Dear Friends:

Yes, it's me again. A little sooner than expected...but with important news for all of the post-1946 adoptees who plan to request their OBC's on November 15th.
We learned yesterday from Illinois Vital Statistics that they WILL NOT ACCEPT any OBC Request Forms that arrive in their offices before November 15th. Yes, you read that correctly. They are not going by the postmark, but by the date the Request Form arrives! And, all Request Forms received in
Springfield prior to November 15th are being RETURNED TO SENDER!
According to Vital Statistics, accepting Request Forms prior to that date "would be like breaking the law." I am surprised by this interpretation, but time is of the essence here... As I type this, the checks of hundreds among you who planned ahead, and thought you were going to be at the front of the
class, are weaving their way back to your mailboxes... and you'll soon find out that you've been sent to the back of the line. 
What do do???
If you've already sent your Request Form in, don't panic..just keep reading!
And, if you haven't, below you'll find complete instructions on how to make sure your Request Form is among those that Vital Statistics receives on the morning of November 15th, and not a second before (or after).
Scenario 1:
You've already mailed in your Request Form.
If you've already mailed in your Request Form, trust me, it's on its way back. They have reportedly returned "hundreds" of forms in the past two weeks. If yours is one of them, don't wait for it to come back (hoping they made an exception in your case--they didn't). Unfortunately, returned mail
travels very slowly...November 15th could very well come and go before your envelope works its way back to you. 
Void the check you sent with your original Request Form, if you don't feel comfortable having a $15 check that won't be cashed floating out there.
Otherwise sit tight...and then choose one of the options below for Scenario 2.
Scenario 2:
You have not yet mailed in your Request Form (but you sure would like to learn more about being among those who are being sent to the head of the class).
Since learning about this latest glitch in the unrolling of the second phase of the new law, we have come up with five ways to allow you to make sure that your obc will be among the thousands that will be sitting on Vital Statistics' doorstep on Tuesday, November 15th:
1. You can mail your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to me at our offices, 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60642.  DO NOT USE the PO Box address which appears on the website. I am asking that
Request Forms mailed directly to me be sent via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation (cost is $5.65 in the U.S.) or via any other method of your choice that can be tracked via the internet (eg. Fedex, if you have a Fedex account). All mailed Request Forms must reach me by Friday, November 11th at the latest to be part of "Operation Pony Express" (see below).

2. You can bring your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to in a SEPARATE envelope and hand-deliver it to me at White Oak's offices, at 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, on November 9th, 10th or 11th, or at the
informational table we'll be hosting in the Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, on November 8th or November 14th. Drop-off times on the 9th, 10th and 11th will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days. We will be at the Thompson Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 11/8 and 11/14. All request forms received during the 3-day open house and the two days at the Thompson Center will be included in "Operation Pony Express" (more on that after #3).

3. You can join me, along with Rep. Feigenholtz, and film-maker Jean Strauss, and many of those who played a pivotal role in the passage of this ground-breaking legislation. ..at a party being held to celebrate this historic event on the evening of November 14, 2011. I can't yet tell you where exactly we'll be celebrating (but it will be somewhere in Chicago), nor the exact time (6 to 10 is my best guess), but I can promise you that we'll have a lot to celebrate (99.9% of 250,000 original birth certificates unsealed in a single day)!
All of the Request Forms received by mail or in person at our offices prior to November 11th, along with all the Request Forms gathered at the Thompson Center on November 8th and 11th, and all those received at the celebration party on the evening of the 14th, will be hand-delivered to Vital Statistics
on November 15th via what I am calling "Operation Pony Express."

On the morning of November 15th, Rep. Feigenholtz, along with Jean Strauss and members of Rep. Feigneholtz' s staff, will be hand-delivering the hundreds of Request Forms we've gathered between now and November 14th to Vital Statistics. If we can get press coverage for "Operation Pony Express,"
you may even get to see your Request Form, rolling among all those delivered to Vital Statistics that day, on the evening news.  If you'd like to be part of "Operation Pony Express"...and Illinois adoption history ....and are interested in taking advantage of Options 1, 2 or 3 above, please email me at iltreesurgeon@ aol.com as soon as possible. 
And, if you'd like to get your Request Form in on the 15th, but without being involved in all the hoopla, you can:

4. Send your Request Form via Overnight Delivery on November 14th, using FedEx or the U.S. Postal Service's overnight service.

5. Walk, drive or fly to Springfield, IL and hand-deliver your Request Form to Vital Statistics on the 15th (you might run into Jean Strauss and her film crew, if you do!). However, be advised that, even if you hand in your Request Form on the 15th, you will have to wait just as long as anyone who chose option 1, 2, 3 or 4 above to receive a non-certified copy of your original birth certificate.

WEBINARS
We've been overwhelmed by your response to our free webinars this week! The 2 p.m. Thursday webinar is nearly full (two spots left), and there are five spots left for the Friday, 6 pm seminar. We are looking into recording one of the webinars and making it available online throughout the month of
November. 
I will be emailing all those who signed up for either seminar later with instructions on how to find us on Thursday or Friday, along with a Pdf file that includes the materials we'll be covering during the webinar.
Thanks for all the letters of support and solidarity that have been pouring in since Friday night...I'll try to get back to everyone individually once the 15th has come and gone, but it looks like I am going to be REALLY busy between now and then!
If you live anywhere in the Chicago area, hope to see you at one of the events above!!!
Warm regards,
Melisha Mitchell, Illinois Dept. of Public Health

(I know several adoptees in Illinois who are Lost Birds - I send you strength and patience for the journey ahead....Trace)

URGENT Update for Illinois Adoptees from Melisha Mitchell




check your bookstore for this book!
DO NOT MAIL IN OBC REQUESTS BEFORE 11/15!!!     



November 1, 2011

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE WIDELY!!!!!



Dear Friends:



Yes, it's me again. A little sooner than expected...but with important news for all of the post-1946 adoptees who plan to request their OBC's on November 15th.

We learned yesterday from Illinois Vital Statistics that they WILL NOT ACCEPT any OBC Request Forms that arrive in their offices before November 15th. Yes, you read that correctly. They are not going by the postmark, but by the date the Request Form arrives! And, all Request Forms received in

Springfield prior to November 15th are being RETURNED TO SENDER!

According to Vital Statistics, accepting Request Forms prior to that date "would be like breaking the law." I am surprised by this interpretation, but time is of the essence here... As I type this, the checks of hundreds among you who planned ahead, and thought you were going to be at the front of the

class, are weaving their way back to your mailboxes... and you'll soon find out that you've been sent to the back of the line. 

What do do???

If you've already sent your Request Form in, don't panic..just keep reading!

And, if you haven't, below you'll find complete instructions on how to make sure your Request Form is among those that Vital Statistics receives on the morning of November 15th, and not a second before (or after).

Scenario 1:

You've already mailed in your Request Form.

If you've already mailed in your Request Form, trust me, it's on its way back. They have reportedly returned "hundreds" of forms in the past two weeks. If yours is one of them, don't wait for it to come back (hoping they made an exception in your case--they didn't). Unfortunately, returned mail

travels very slowly...November 15th could very well come and go before your envelope works its way back to you. 

Void the check you sent with your original Request Form, if you don't feel comfortable having a $15 check that won't be cashed floating out there.

Otherwise sit tight...and then choose one of the options below for Scenario 2.

Scenario 2:

You have not yet mailed in your Request Form (but you sure would like to learn more about being among those who are being sent to the head of the class).

Since learning about this latest glitch in the unrolling of the second phase of the new law, we have come up with five ways to allow you to make sure that your obc will be among the thousands that will be sitting on Vital Statistics' doorstep on Tuesday, November 15th:

1. You can mail your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to me at our offices, 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60642.  DO NOT USE the PO Box address which appears on the website. I am asking that

Request Forms mailed directly to me be sent via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation (cost is $5.65 in the U.S.) or via any other method of your choice that can be tracked via the internet (eg. Fedex, if you have a Fedex account). All mailed Request Forms must reach me by Friday, November 11th at the latest to be part of "Operation Pony Express" (see below).



2. You can bring your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to in a SEPARATE envelope and hand-deliver it to me at White Oak's offices, at 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, on November 9th, 10th or 11th, or at the

informational table we'll be hosting in the Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, on November 8th or November 14th. Drop-off times on the 9th, 10th and 11th will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days. We will be at the Thompson Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 11/8 and 11/14. All request forms received during the 3-day open house and the two days at the Thompson Center will be included in "Operation Pony Express" (more on that after #3).



3. You can join me, along with Rep. Feigenholtz, and film-maker Jean Strauss, and many of those who played a pivotal role in the passage of this ground-breaking legislation. ..at a party being held to celebrate this historic event on the evening of November 14, 2011. I can't yet tell you where exactly we'll be celebrating (but it will be somewhere in Chicago), nor the exact time (6 to 10 is my best guess), but I can promise you that we'll have a lot to celebrate (99.9% of 250,000 original birth certificates unsealed in a single day)!

All of the Request Forms received by mail or in person at our offices prior to November 11th, along with all the Request Forms gathered at the Thompson Center on November 8th and 11th, and all those received at the celebration party on the evening of the 14th, will be hand-delivered to Vital Statistics

on November 15th via what I am calling "Operation Pony Express."



On the morning of November 15th, Rep. Feigenholtz, along with Jean Strauss and members of Rep. Feigneholtz' s staff, will be hand-delivering the hundreds of Request Forms we've gathered between now and November 14th to Vital Statistics. If we can get press coverage for "Operation Pony Express,"

you may even get to see your Request Form, rolling among all those delivered to Vital Statistics that day, on the evening news.  If you'd like to be part of "Operation Pony Express"...and Illinois adoption history ....and are interested in taking advantage of Options 1, 2 or 3 above, please email me at iltreesurgeon@ aol.com as soon as possible. 

And, if you'd like to get your Request Form in on the 15th, but without being involved in all the hoopla, you can:



4. Send your Request Form via Overnight Delivery on November 14th, using FedEx or the U.S. Postal Service's overnight service.



5. Walk, drive or fly to Springfield, IL and hand-deliver your Request Form to Vital Statistics on the 15th (you might run into Jean Strauss and her film crew, if you do!). However, be advised that, even if you hand in your Request Form on the 15th, you will have to wait just as long as anyone who chose option 1, 2, 3 or 4 above to receive a non-certified copy of your original birth certificate.



WEBINARS

We've been overwhelmed by your response to our free webinars this week! The 2 p.m. Thursday webinar is nearly full (two spots left), and there are five spots left for the Friday, 6 pm seminar. We are looking into recording one of the webinars and making it available online throughout the month of

November. 

I will be emailing all those who signed up for either seminar later with instructions on how to find us on Thursday or Friday, along with a Pdf file that includes the materials we'll be covering during the webinar.

Thanks for all the letters of support and solidarity that have been pouring in since Friday night...I'll try to get back to everyone individually once the 15th has come and gone, but it looks like I am going to be REALLY busy between now and then!

If you live anywhere in the Chicago area, hope to see you at one of the events above!!!

Warm regards,

Melisha Mitchell, Illinois Dept. of Public Health



(I know several adoptees in Illinois who are Lost Birds - I send you strength and patience for the journey ahead....Trace)

URGENT Update for Illinois Adoptees from Melisha Mitchell

check your bookstore for this book!
DO NOT MAIL IN OBC REQUESTS BEFORE 11/15!!!     

November 1, 2011
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE WIDELY!!!!!

Dear Friends:

Yes, it's me again. A little sooner than expected...but with important news for all of the post-1946 adoptees who plan to request their OBC's on November 15th.
We learned yesterday from Illinois Vital Statistics that they WILL NOT ACCEPT any OBC Request Forms that arrive in their offices before November 15th. Yes, you read that correctly. They are not going by the postmark, but by the date the Request Form arrives! And, all Request Forms received in
Springfield prior to November 15th are being RETURNED TO SENDER!
According to Vital Statistics, accepting Request Forms prior to that date "would be like breaking the law." I am surprised by this interpretation, but time is of the essence here... As I type this, the checks of hundreds among you who planned ahead, and thought you were going to be at the front of the
class, are weaving their way back to your mailboxes... and you'll soon find out that you've been sent to the back of the line. 
What do do???
If you've already sent your Request Form in, don't panic..just keep reading!
And, if you haven't, below you'll find complete instructions on how to make sure your Request Form is among those that Vital Statistics receives on the morning of November 15th, and not a second before (or after).
Scenario 1:
You've already mailed in your Request Form.
If you've already mailed in your Request Form, trust me, it's on its way back. They have reportedly returned "hundreds" of forms in the past two weeks. If yours is one of them, don't wait for it to come back (hoping they made an exception in your case--they didn't). Unfortunately, returned mail
travels very slowly...November 15th could very well come and go before your envelope works its way back to you. 
Void the check you sent with your original Request Form, if you don't feel comfortable having a $15 check that won't be cashed floating out there.
Otherwise sit tight...and then choose one of the options below for Scenario 2.
Scenario 2:
You have not yet mailed in your Request Form (but you sure would like to learn more about being among those who are being sent to the head of the class).
Since learning about this latest glitch in the unrolling of the second phase of the new law, we have come up with five ways to allow you to make sure that your obc will be among the thousands that will be sitting on Vital Statistics' doorstep on Tuesday, November 15th:
1. You can mail your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to me at our offices, 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60642.  DO NOT USE the PO Box address which appears on the website. I am asking that
Request Forms mailed directly to me be sent via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation (cost is $5.65 in the U.S.) or via any other method of your choice that can be tracked via the internet (eg. Fedex, if you have a Fedex account). All mailed Request Forms must reach me by Friday, November 11th at the latest to be part of "Operation Pony Express" (see below).

2. You can bring your completed Request Form, along with the $15 check made out to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and a photocopy of your state ID to in a SEPARATE envelope and hand-deliver it to me at White Oak's offices, at 525 N. Halsted, Suite 203, on November 9th, 10th or 11th, or at the
informational table we'll be hosting in the Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, on November 8th or November 14th. Drop-off times on the 9th, 10th and 11th will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days. We will be at the Thompson Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 11/8 and 11/14. All request forms received during the 3-day open house and the two days at the Thompson Center will be included in "Operation Pony Express" (more on that after #3).

3. You can join me, along with Rep. Feigenholtz, and film-maker Jean Strauss, and many of those who played a pivotal role in the passage of this ground-breaking legislation. ..at a party being held to celebrate this historic event on the evening of November 14, 2011. I can't yet tell you where exactly we'll be celebrating (but it will be somewhere in Chicago), nor the exact time (6 to 10 is my best guess), but I can promise you that we'll have a lot to celebrate (99.9% of 250,000 original birth certificates unsealed in a single day)!
All of the Request Forms received by mail or in person at our offices prior to November 11th, along with all the Request Forms gathered at the Thompson Center on November 8th and 11th, and all those received at the celebration party on the evening of the 14th, will be hand-delivered to Vital Statistics
on November 15th via what I am calling "Operation Pony Express."

On the morning of November 15th, Rep. Feigenholtz, along with Jean Strauss and members of Rep. Feigneholtz' s staff, will be hand-delivering the hundreds of Request Forms we've gathered between now and November 14th to Vital Statistics. If we can get press coverage for "Operation Pony Express,"
you may even get to see your Request Form, rolling among all those delivered to Vital Statistics that day, on the evening news.  If you'd like to be part of "Operation Pony Express"...and Illinois adoption history ....and are interested in taking advantage of Options 1, 2 or 3 above, please email me at iltreesurgeon@ aol.com as soon as possible. 
And, if you'd like to get your Request Form in on the 15th, but without being involved in all the hoopla, you can:

4. Send your Request Form via Overnight Delivery on November 14th, using FedEx or the U.S. Postal Service's overnight service.

5. Walk, drive or fly to Springfield, IL and hand-deliver your Request Form to Vital Statistics on the 15th (you might run into Jean Strauss and her film crew, if you do!). However, be advised that, even if you hand in your Request Form on the 15th, you will have to wait just as long as anyone who chose option 1, 2, 3 or 4 above to receive a non-certified copy of your original birth certificate.

WEBINARS
We've been overwhelmed by your response to our free webinars this week! The 2 p.m. Thursday webinar is nearly full (two spots left), and there are five spots left for the Friday, 6 pm seminar. We are looking into recording one of the webinars and making it available online throughout the month of
November. 
I will be emailing all those who signed up for either seminar later with instructions on how to find us on Thursday or Friday, along with a Pdf file that includes the materials we'll be covering during the webinar.
Thanks for all the letters of support and solidarity that have been pouring in since Friday night...I'll try to get back to everyone individually once the 15th has come and gone, but it looks like I am going to be REALLY busy between now and then!
If you live anywhere in the Chicago area, hope to see you at one of the events above!!!
Warm regards,
Melisha Mitchell, Illinois Dept. of Public Health

(I know several adoptees in Illinois who are Lost Birds - I send you strength and patience for the journey ahead....Trace)

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Veronica, we adult adoptees are thinking of you today and every day. We will be here when you need us. Your journey in the adopted life has begun, nothing can revoke that now, the damage cannot be undone. Be courageous, you have what no adoptee before you has had; a strong group of adult adoptees who know your story, who are behind you and will always be so.

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BOOK 5: Lost Children of the Indian Adoption Projects