An orphan no more -- foster kid finds mom

[Kadie]

Have a tissue ready if you read this entire article.

An orphan no more -- foster kid finds mom
Woman, 40, adopted in Contra Costa by the mother she was denied 30 years ago

Joan Ryan
Sunday, April 25, 2004

Regina Louise Ollison was 40 years old with a 17-year-old son of her own when she became, after a lifetime as an orphan, somebody's child.

"Everybody needs a mother, and it doesn't matter when you get her,'' she said.

In an unusual Contra Costa County court proceeding, Regina was adopted by the woman who had been denied the opportunity three decades ago. The two had fallen in love with each other when Regina Louise was a headstrong 11-year-old bouncing from one foster home to another. Jeannie Kerr was a young counselor at the Contra Costa children's shelter where Regina returned after each failed placement.

But back then, the courts and the social workers refused to place black children with white parents. Both were devastated. Jeannie ended up marrying a military man, having a son and moving to the South. Regina was never adopted and left foster care at age 18. When she attended San Francisco State on scholarship, she had no name to offer when asked for an emergency contact. She had no place to go when the dorms closed for school breaks. There was not a single person in the world who claimed her as family.

more... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/04/25/MNGI56ASTU1.DTL

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skittles]

2. WTF

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ???

[deurbano]

3. Don't know about the "political correctness" angle...

But definitely tragically misguided, like the policies in some
states that still deny gays and lesbians the right to adopt
foster children.  Certain policy makers sure haven't learned
much in these last thirty years.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi deurbano!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kadie]

4. Your way of thinking is exactly why this woman didn't have a

family of her own for over 30 years. Does that make you feel good?

Thank you for reminding me of the kind of people that are out there and that there is still so much more work to be done. We will take this woman's story as inspiration, but we will keep on fighting. I look forward to the day when all foster children can have a family to love and that loves them. These kids never hurt anyone, but they seem to be the ones paying the price.

By the way, you wear that tombstone well.