"After Don was born, the CAS wanted to tie my tubes! I was only 17."

Red in Vancouver, B.C.

I was a 17 year old pregnant CAS ward. I wanted my baby right from the day I found out I was going to be a Mother. Since I received my FOIA Papers I found out that I did not have a fighting chance, because in those papers was a letter from a doctor that worked for the Ministry. It said: take the child at ALL costs.

My son was born in the Prince George Hospital, as I was visiting friends in that community. The CAS returned me to Vancouver, and my long battle began. The Ministry paid our rent, and sent cases of formula every month, our food vouchers were $15.00 a week for anything else we needed, which was not enough. The social workers wrote me up again, for hitch hiking with my son, as that was the only way we could get our food vouchers or we would have to go without. Every time I turned around they were putting my son into care. I do not have any family members so I did not get emotional or financial help, and my son's father was long gone. I had no one to help or baby-sit. My son needed a surgery. The Ministry talked me into putting him into care, as I was too young to take care of his surgery after-care; and, well, he never came home. I had managed to keep my son about six months, and the CAS finally won.

I went through many years of court fights, and was denied visits. The last time I seen my son he had NO idea who I was! On my last court date, it was ordered that my son be put up for adoption, as "the mother's wild life style" was not a suitable place for a child. NO neglect or abuse was ever proved against me! I stormed out of the court room. I tried to appeal, but it was no use. Then one day I was called into the Ministry Office. I was 7 months pregnant with my second child. They said, "You HAVE to sign the adoption papers!" I told them to "fuck themselves," that I would NEVER sign my son away, so the Ministry took it to another court case and had a judge sign the adoption order. I do not remember ever being notified of this court date. To keep my second child I had to get married or lose him and any other children to adoption. I put up with 23 years of abuse from my former husband so I could keep my boys.

Well, I finally beat the Ministry: after 29 years of searching we found my son Don. We have been reunited over 3 years. I finally have my son back, and Rocky has his Big Brother. Our reunion in the beginning was tough, but now we have learned to accept each other's differences and personalities.

I was sure glad I did not show for that one doctor's appointment that the CAS had made. It was for a gynecologist. After Don was born, the CAS wanted to tie my tubes! I was only 17, but my gut instinct told me not to go, as I had no clue as to what the surgery was for. CAS said it was for my own good, so I ran, I ran like the wind and have been running all my life. I have to have the wind in my face to be free, and so do my children, because as long as there are Social Workers, none of us will be free. They will always hunt us down and take our children.

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