Advocacy HELP NEEDED
My grandaughter needs your help!
YOUR IDEAS, DIRECTION OR ADVOCACY COULD HELP ME SAVE MY GRANDAUGHTER RACHAEL’S LIFE
Rachael was born on June 23, 2004. She was born addicted to Crack and Heroin. It took Rachael months to undergo full detoxification at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. Miraculously, Rachael has no impairment, physical or mental from this ordeal. She is a True Miracle.
Rachael spent the next 4 years in and out of foster care, kinship care, and was passed from family to family throughout her mother’s social circle.
On April 23, 2008 Rachael was the sole survivor of a tragic accident that left her paralyzed. Her mother Rhonda, her baby sister Riley (8 months old) and her sister Stephanie (21 years old) died.
Rachael is now in a home where, once again, she is at risk. She is being physically and emotionally abused. She is not allowed to have her wheel chair in the house. She has not had any physical therapy for almost a year. Her physical abilities have declined. The details of the emotional abuse are heart rendering.
Following the accident, Rachael was released from Kennedy Kreiger after months of painful and frightening surgery, treatment and recovery. The Surgeons, Doctors and Physical Therapists’ observations of her amazing progress were that she was a great candidate to regain the ability to walk some day, but she had to be kept healthy and in shape. Last year, because she was getting regular physical therapy, Rachael was walking short distances with a walker and now she is so twisted up from lack of therapeutic exercise, she could not do physical therapy even if someone would follow the Doctor’s orders and take her.
I have witnessed acts of physical abuse which I reported immediately. The most recent incident occurred on Friday evening, February 4, 2011 when I went to pick her up for our regularly scheduled weekend visit. I watched in horror as Rachael’s guardian dropped her onto the icy driveway of the home, and nudge her with a boot in her lower back. Her guardian then told this paralyzed child to “crawl” to my car! On the way home that day I knew this had to end. I have called Social Services many times in the past two years and so has her other grandmother. Others, within and outside the family have reported things, but as of this date, no one has been able to help me get Rachael out of there. It is a situation with very complicated dynamics.
I have documentation and signed statements from various witnesses to prove these facts. I have tried many avenues to find relief for this child to no avail.
I have consulted seventeen different attorneys across three Counties, and Baltimore City. Every single one of them let me know up front that my chance of effecting change was slim. If I wanted to try however, they would be glad to give it a shot. Sixteen of the attorneys wanted a $25,000 retainer; the other attorney wanted $5000. Unanimously, across the board I was given an estimate of total cost to handle this case in excess of $100,000!
I do not expect anyone to work for free, but without this astronomical sum of money no one would work with me. I have attempted to take a Pro Se approach, but have been deterred by more than one Pro Se Clinic attorney. Each told me that with the appalling lack of Grandparents’ rights in this state there was little hope. I was also told it was likely that no judge would even hear me without representation from legal counsel.
This goes against everything I believe about justice in this country. When I think of the famous image of “Justice” I now see a blindfolded woman, protected from having to feel empathy, weighing out the gold on her scales of justice to determine who is worthy!
All I am trying to do is protect my granddaughter.
Rachael’s plight needs to be heard. Something must change. As difficult and heart wrenching this situation is, I believe perhaps some good can come from it. I hope not only to succeed in securing Rachael’s future, but also to pursue a change in Grandparents’ Rights, something that is long overdue.
I am at a loss as to what to do next, yet I know unequivocally I must do something. Not only because Rachael is my granddaughter, but because she is a child who deserves the opportunity to achieve her full potential. She deserves the prospect of reaching “maximum possible recovery” from her injuries. She deserves to live in peace, free of fear.
Rachael is in the first grade and excels well above her grade level in reading, science and math. She has cheated death twice. She has utmost potential to do extraordinary things. Rachael is my greatest inspiration because she is a true miracle. The world needs children like Rachael to lead us into a better future. How can you not be compelled to help her?!
How can this innocent child be forced to endure anymore suffering?
I fear that Rachael is running out of time to get the help she needs.
If you can help with ideas, direction, advocacy or legal help for Rachael, or you wish to review the documents related to this case, please contact me via any of the methods below:
Thank you for your time and attention
Staci B. Knoerlein, paternal grandmother of Rachael XXXXX
Sknoerl1@jhmi.edu
helprachael@hotmail.com
443-850-9445
PS I welcome requests for electronic copies (PDF) of all the documents related to this case. Please contact me at one of the email addresses above and I will be glad to provide whatever you wish to inspect.
Reply With Quote
