December 4
To whom it may concern;
Our problems started a little over four years ago. It was August and we lived in a small apartment in Washougal, WA. At that time. My legal name was Robert Pentecost, and I was about to turn 18 on September 7th. I lived with my fianc, Tracy Brundage, who was turning 26 on August 26th. We also lived with her two children from previous relationships; her son, John N. Brundage III, age 3 (DOB=1/16/97), and daughter, Zolynn N. Brundage, age 2 (DOB=4/14/98). Earlier that year, John had been diagnosed with ADHD and childhood depression resulting from the deaths of his Great-Grandparents and the terminal kidney failure of his Grandmother (Nana). The end of July, Tracy had received news that she was pregnant. We had a few pets and we were happy for the most part.
Before I go any further, I want to offer an apology if any of the names in our story are misspelled, some are very unusual and difficult.
On Wednesday, August 23rd, John had gone outside to ride his bike that his Nana gave him, when one of the neighbor boys came over and tried to take the bike from him. John fought with the boy and was able to get enough attention to the scene that he did not loose his bike. Unfortunately, he did get some bruises and scratches when the other boy pushed him down and hit him with the large rocks that were scattered all around the complex.
Late on the night of Thursday, August 24th, Tracy started having some stomach pain and, being scared, we went into the emergency room at Southwest Washington Medical Center. Since we were all there, she asked that they check John out too, regarding the fight from the previous day and explained the situation. The doctor said that he looked fine and told John to be careful and not to get in any more fights.
At that point, the doctor told Tracy they were going to do an exam and run some test. Tracy had a miscarriage between the pregnancies of John and Zolynn and was very frightened being so early in this pregnancy. Knowing her patient rights, she insisted on having us all in the room with her because of her previous experience and being afraid. The doctor then began being very hostile toward Tracy and told her that she was not allowed to have us there nor anything else she wanted. Tracy stated that she felt much better since she had passed some gas and since they refused to acknowledge her patient rights, she was leaving. She said if the problems returned she would go elsewhere since they were declining her rights. Apparently, the doctor did not like this viewpoint and began yelling at us saying if we left she would call CPS on us. Tracy asked for what? The doctor said she didn't know right then but she would come up with something, even if she had to make it up. That is how our story began.
The evening of the 29th, after the kids were asleep, Tracy and I picked up the apartment and put everything away. We then headed for bed with our beloved Golden Retriever, Chuck. At some point in the early morning of Wednesday. August 30, the kids got up. Somehow they managed to get into everything without even disturbing Chuck. They emptied all the drawers and cabinets and spread everything throughout the apartment as quite as little mice, even letting their ferret, Juju out of his cage. Fortunately, that was not the best move in their plan to keep us asleep during their little party. Juju came and woke Chuck up, who in turn woke Tracy and I up.
Tracy started picking up and cleaning right away, while I went to the bathroom. Approximately 10 minutes after we woke up, there was a knock at our door. Tracy answered the door to CPS officer Mr. Burt Foote along with two Washougal police officers. They informed her that they had received a complaint from the hospital and wanted to see the kids and the home as they pushed right past her. They began right away asking question with a very intimidating tone in front of the children. What happened next was so fast, it was hard to keep up with or understand. John began to get scared and with no warning, pulled a pocket knife from my pocket and pointed it at one of the officers. As he did this, he said, Your not taking me from my Mom and Dad! Go away and leave us alone! The officer whom john was pointing the knife at then pulled his gun out and pointed it at John (a three year old), as the other one called for back up. I took the knife from john and stepped between them. The other officer then walked over and told the one with the gun to go outside and wait for the others.
When the other officers arrived, they surrounded our apartment. After ensuring us that they would not run off with our kids and that the children would be carefully watched, they sent the kids outside with the back up officers. We were then questions for almost three hours by Mr. Foote and the original two officers about anything and everything. We cooperated to the best of our ability telling them everything we knew аbout: the bruises, the hospital, the kids, the biological fathers, the pregnancy, our relationship, our families, our home, ect. Mr. Foote then informed us that he would be taking the kids, but only for forty-eight hours. He would be back on Friday and if our home was clean by then, we would get the kids back that day. We then proceeded outside were the officers were supposed to be watching our kids. However, that is not what we saw. The kids were running wild through the complex and in the road. John was almost hit by a car. Mr. Foote then grabbed John by the neck and hit his head on the car as he threw him in. Zolynn saw this and began running toward Tracy, but Mr. Foote grabbed her before she could make it and did the same to her that he did to John. He then sped off. It was horrifying and felt like he was kidnapping our children. We were not allowed to say anything to them, to explain or even say goodbye. I can only imagine how terrifying and confusing it must have been for our babies, to be ripped from their home and family without explanation.
After they were gone, we got on the phone and within an hour had at least forty people over helping with the house, all in shock and extremely infuriated at how our children and us had been so savagely violated. Less than forty-eight fours later our home was not only clean, it was immaculate. We had spent over 300 dollars on child safety items, installed them, cleaned, and organized, all before our time limit. Even I was impressed by what we had accomplished thanks to our friends and family.
On Friday morning, we called Mr. Foote to ask him when he was coming out to see the apartment and bring us our children. He then informed us that the kids were placed in a foster home and that we would need to speak to our case worker, Mr. Tyrone Fritz. We then called Mr. Fritz. Who stated that we were not getting them back and we needed to come in on Tuesday, September 5th to meet with him, discuss the case, and sign some papers. He refused to tell us anything else about the kids except they were fine and that was it. We were terrified for our children.
September 5th arrived and we went in for our appointment, anxious to find out what they had done to our babies. Mr. Fritz would not let me go in, knowing I was stronger and more clear headed than my pregnant and overly-emotional fianc.instead, he took her to a small room alone. There he told her with condemnation and intimidation that she will never see her babies again, unless she signs this plan he has written and does what he says. She was purposefully and deceptively placed under the impression that if she took the time to read the papers, she would be considered non-cooperative and loose the kids. It was her word against his and she knew it. So, with tears in her eyes, she signed the papers. After Tracy signed the papers, he immediately put them away and then allowed me to join the room. He then told us that if we do what we are told, he will not take us to court and we can earn our kids back. He made us feel like criminals, and called us liars. He was purposely tearing us down. We insisted on knowing information about the kids and their well being. He set up a visit for two days later.
Upon arriving at the first visit, we were in total shock. The children were elated to see us, and we were just as delighted to see them. However, before they were taken, they were both sleeping in twin beds, fully potty trained, and drinking from regular cups. On that day, John was in a pull-up and Zolynn was in a diaper. John said he was only allowed to use the bathroom with one of them. He was carrying a sippy cup that he was told to hold on to and keep track of. Zolynn told us that she was not allowed to use the bathroom at all. She was carrying a baby bottle, and was told to hold onto and keep track of as well. She had never had a bottle before, since she went straight from the breast to a sippy cup. Later we were to find out other baby things that she had never used, she was now being forced to use; like a crib.
At first, we were told that during our visits we were allowed to take the children to a nearby park for one hour to have a picnic and play before returning them. It did not take long for us to see how unhappy and scared the children were. They were showing up with scratches, bruises, and marks that were not normal, and with no reasoning. When we informed Mr. Fritz of this, we were then told that we had to have our visits there and be supervised during all our contact with the children. He then informed us that we needed to complete a drug/alcohol assessment as well as a parenting class and an anger management class.
A very short time later, the children showed us with bite marks on the inside of their thighs, as well as new scratches, bruises, and marks. We immediately informed Mr. Fritz of this, and he proceeded to have a co-worker take pictures of the marks. We demanded that the children be removed from that foster home and placed in a new one, since they were obviously being abused and molested. The children were not moved and the pictures mysteriously disappeared.
After the next visit, we accompanied the foster mom out to their suburban to help load up the kids. As we walked outside, Zolynn looked at Tracy with tears of fear in her eyes and said, I love you and miss you, Mommy. Please don't make us go back! When can we come home with you? Tracy almost started crying too as we told them that we loved them both very much and we are working on it, but they would have to be patient. The foster mom then grabbed the kids from us, yelling at them, They are not your Mom and Dad anymore! We are your Mom and Dad now! If I ever hear you call them that again, you will be in big trouble! She threw them in the car and drove off. We ran back in the office and complained once again. Mr. Fritz informed us that they are the parents now so they can say what they want. He said that we just have to deal with it and do what we are told, or we will loose the privilege of seeing the kids. He also told us he now wanted a psychological test completed on us both. We said fine and once again we demanded that the children be moved. Once again nothing happened!
A few visits later, the children showed up with the usual new and mysterious scratches, bruises, and marks. However, there was one difference. John had a bookcase thrown on him and his back was covered with very painful marks. Knowing that Mr. Fritz was not going to do anything, we contacted his supervisor, Ms. Eva Jackson. Thankfully, she was understanding and extremely concerned. She agreed that the children were endangered and she had them moved within forty-eight hours.
Late one morning the beginning of October, Mr. Fritz called to let us know they had moved the kids that morning. We asked him if we could have the kids and their new foster family accompany us to the Swan Island Pumpkin Patch as it was a long standing tradition with Tracy's family. He told us he saw no problem with that and would talk to the new foster family to ensure that they did not go without us. The next day he called to say it was approved and that the new foster mom would talk to us at the next visit to make the all the arrangements. We were overjoyed!
When we arrived at the next visit, we met the new foster mom. She seemed extremely nice. She began to tell us of the outing they had gone on the previous weekend. They had gone to the pumpkin patch. She proceeded to tell us of the adorable things our children did there and how much fun they had. Although we were glad they had a good time, we were irate that we had been once again deceived. She was very upset as well and said that she had not been told anything by Mr. Fritz about our request. Once we had assured her that it was not her fault that she didn't know, we confronted Mr. Fritz. It was very upsetting to us that he seemed to enjoy hurting us. This was extremely important and meaningful to us and our family. Tracy's family had been doing this as long as she could remember. We had to call everyone to cancel the plan, as my parent's, along with Nana, were all planning to join us there.
Shortly after the children were placed with the new foster mom, they started letting us have the visits at our home with a facilitator. It was wonderful having them home, even if it was only for one to two hours a week. The children loved being home with their own things. We played with their toys, their pets, watched movies, and acted like a regular family with company. It was very nice. The foster mom and facilitator both agreed that we were great parents and they did not understand why this was happening to us either, but this was how it had to be for a while. Meanwhile, we had been doing everything above and beyond what was asked of us. Tracy's doctor had told her to be careful she does not get too stressed because of the baby, and was upset saying CPS was not helping and endangering us all. We had completed the drug/alcohol assessment with flying colors, which was no surprise to us since neither of us drink or do drugs. We had been attending regular parenting and anger management classes. We did miss a couple classes when our car broke down and when we were very sick. However, we called everyone involved immediately to notify them and even get permission for it. Also, we completed our psychological assessments and we were awaiting the results. Mr. Fritz kept telling us as soon as he got the psychological assessment results back, if they were ok, we would get out kids back. Should be here no later than next week he would tell us. Every week we heard the same thing.
November came and we were finishing up our classes, and still waiting on the psychological results. Tracy's Mother, Nana, started getting to the point where she needed help and asked us to move back in with her to help her out. We called Mr. Fritz and told him, We are done! We have done everything you have ask and then some. We are moving in with Nana. Give us our kids back! He had the audacity to tell us no, that we will never get them back. So we called Ms. Jackson. She told us she needed to review our case first. Well, we were done with the games. I called the governor and every other agency I could think of and told them our story.
The end of that week, between loads from our apartment to Nana's home, we got a wonderful call from Ms. Jackson. She said she had received several calls from people including the governor and mayor. Mr. Fritz would be inspecting our new home the next Monday and if it was clean, we could have our kids.
Monday came and Mr. Fritz was almost an hour late. He came in, looked around, talked to Nana, then looked at Tracy and said you can pick your kids up at noon at our office. Then he left. He seemed very upset, beaten. He had lost his own game. That was the Monday before Thanksgiving that year. We were all so excited and I am sure you can guess the first thing we were all grateful for that year.
They left us alone for the most part for a while. We warned other parents of the entrapments of CPS, sharing our story was our best testimony. The beginning of March, I changed my name to Robert Hawk. One week later, the baby, Nickolas J Hawk was born 3/19. A beautiful healthy boy. Six weeks later Tracy and I got married. Nana had her share of health problems. She was in and out of the hospital and nursing home and finally passed away July 31. We all had a very hard time of this and became restless. We moved several times over the next few years in search of home. Home was with Nana, and none of us wanted to let go. We had our share of ups and downs, but we always stayed together and that's all we ever needed!
On February 22nd, we moved back to Vancouver once again. Why? Who knows. Maybe we thought we would find peace if we were closer to Nana, since she was spread on Mt. St. Helens. Maybe because this is where we came from. Maybe we were just naive and stupid. Whatever the reason, we were back. We were living in a townhouse apartment in orchard now. It was a descent sized two story above a single flat apartment. Somehow we knew that this would be our last time in Vancouver, and that when our lease was up, we would be leaving for good.
We had another baby, Garrett R. Hawk (DOB=8/22/03) the last time we lived in Vancouver, just six months prior, to the day. He had his fair share of problems as well. He was born with some issues that we were staying on top of, including vision impairments and developmental delays. Things were always busy for us, never a dull moment. We were having trouble unpacking, just finding the time and energy to do it. John and Zolynn were both in school and doing ok. Nickolas was doing very well, and loved being close to his Grandparents. Garrett was doing well and getting scheduled for CDRC at Dornbecker, and the Casey Eye Institute, as well as a variety of others. Everything was ok, just really busy.
The morning of May 11th started out like every other morning at our home. Tracy and I both got up with the older two children at 6:45am to help them get ready for school. We were in the kitchen and laundry room trying to get their clothes and morning snack ready for them, while they were cleaning their rooms and getting ready for their showers. A few minutes later we got a knock at our door. Having no clue who would be knocking at such and early hour, I walked over to answer the door. It was Zolynn.
In utter shock and disbelief, we checked her over up one side and down the other to see if she was ok as we asked her what had happened and how she got outside. She appeared ok except for a few scratches and being scared with exasperated breathing. Originally she told us that there were some boys on the roof under her window and they pulled her out and threw her off. Later she confessed that she had climbed out there to sneak into her brothers room, which also was directly above the roof, without us hearing (she knew we would hear her if she used the door), and she fell. Nobody had heard or seen her at all. Being extremely concerned, we got on the phone and immediately started calling the doctor and the ambulance. Better safe than sorry we thought, just to make sure she was in fact ok. She immediately stared crying saying she did not want to go because she had wet her pants and was dirty. Zolynn said that if we would change her clothes she would go, so we did.
When the ambulance finally got there, we were getting impatient. I picked her up and carried her outside to met them as they pulled up, with Tracy right behind me. We helped strap her in and everything trying to help get her there as soon as possible. The other children had gotten up and were worried also. We were all concerned and scared. Once Zolynn and Tracy had gotten to the hospital, the nurses and doctors of the Emergency Room were very quick to respond to her. They thoroughly checked Zolynn over and concluded she would be fine. They wanted to keep her overnight for observation, so Zolynn and Tracy settle into their room and got comfortable for the night. A very nice lady sheriff came in to talk to them to get their story, but Zolynn was sleeping. She told Tracy she would be back to talk to them both more in the morning.
Meanwhile, back at home, the other children and I were busy cleaning the house and finishing unpacking for Zolynn when she got home. We had a couple sheriffs visit us as well to hear our side of the story. They inspected the house and were concerned that the bedroom doors had locks on them that were inside the room, fearing that she might lock us out of her room. They also stated that we needed to finish unpacking and clean the home up, which we knew, and we were doing. We finally finished the house at about 3 am. It took longer than expected because once Zolynn had gotten to her room, she had to call every few minutes to tell us everything and see if we were all ok. It was nice to hear she was doing better, back to our little Zolynn.
The next morning, the sheriff returned to the hospital with Ms. Darcy Phiffer from CPS, and another lady from the hospital. Tracy was told it was just routine and they just had a few questions. The sheriff and Ms. Phiffer insisted on talking to Zolynn alone, which was against Tracy's better judgment, but she was left no choice. Zolynn was terrified! Tracy refused to leave the door thought and stood directly outside trying to hear what was being said. However, it was extremely hard to hear with the lady from the hospital constantly nagging at her. The sheriff and Ms. Phiffer had done just what we were afraid of. They told Zolynn that she was locked in her room and that was the reason she climbed out, and if she did not tell them that she would be in big trouble. So with fear cover her, she told them what they wanted to hear.
They then sent Zolynn to the play room down the hall with the lady from the hospital so they could talk to Tracy. Tracy tried to remain calm and spoke freely to them. She told them everything she knew and stated, no offence, but I do not trust any of you in any way. They then told her that they would be coming to the home that afternoon to inspect the home and talk to us more. A little while later, Zolynn was discharged and her and her mother were sent home in a cab.
The home was very neatly put together. Tracy and Zolynn were both pleased with the work we had done. However, fearing the entrapment that was already beginning, Tracy was franticly still trying to clean more. When Ms. Phiffer, along with a co-worker arrived, the were amazed by our home, having seen the reports from the other sheriffs the day prior. We lead them upstairs to see the upstairs and bedrooms. Once we were in Zolynn's bedroom, the proceeded to trap Tracy and I in the room with them, while the children were still in the hall, now crying and even more terrified. The baby was still downstairs and also stared crying. John and Nick went to console him while Zolynn was still outside her bedroom door horrified. Ms. Phiffer blocked the door not permitting us to check on the kids or leave the room, while the other lady began yelling at us. Calling us liars, telling us that I did it, and being very verbally abusive. The same games that Mr. Fritz used to play with us. Becoming extremely irate over the slander and threats the other woman was giving me, I told them that this was over and I wanted them out of my home. She began to tell me that she was going to take my kids. Ms. Phiffer tried to calm it down, but it was not going to work with this other woman here. At that point, Tracy began crying for fear of what they would do to the children this time. She told Ms. Phiffer that she would do anything they wanted as long as they didn't take her babies again, then stated she needed to go take care of her baby and was not going to let them stand in her way anymore. Her children needed her. Ms. Phiffer agreed and let us go downstairs. There she sent the other woman outside and recommended a safety plan for us to sign that would be a voluntary case. So we signed it.
Here we go again! The safety plan entailed putting child safety items throughout the home, keeping it clean, making sure the children went to school and were healthy and safe, and visiting with a intensive family preservation specialist as often as possible. We also asked Ms. Phiffer for a copy of our case file. She informed us that she would be coming out in a week or two to inspect the home to make sure we had the safety items in place and said she would bring the paper for us to sign to get the file at that time.
A few days later, we got a call from Ms. Dory Lyons who was going to be our intensive family preservation specialist and would later become a good friend. We all came to know her fondly as Dory. Dory helped us get the few safety items that we could not afford or find, and was able to reimburse us for the things we did get. When Ms. Phiffer returned she said the place looked great and we signed the form. She told us we should receive the file in 21 days. That was the last time we saw her, although we did speak to her several more times. Tracy and I reported everything to them, even little scratches from playing on the playground. We also started visiting with the local Mormon Missionaries, and going to the local ward when we could.
In June, Tracy's sister, Sabrina Williamsen, had come to visit from Idaho, bringing her son, Timathi, and a close family friend, Tomesha. On Thursday afternoon, June 3rd, Sabrina had taken the children out to play on the complex playground. Against our rules, John went to play on a small red metal airplane that was out there. He fell off backwards and hurt his right leg. Sabrina had just came in minutes prior to use the bathroom and left the children with Tomesha. The children came running in telling us what had happened as Tomesha carried John in and put him on the couch. We looked him over and called everyone; Dory, Ms. Phiffer, and our pediatrician. He was able to walk, but it hurt, so he limped. Tracy tried desperately to get John an appointment to be seen, but to no avail. Even Dory had come to visit, and thought he looked ok. Finally, six days later, she told the pediatrician she was bringing him in and they were not leaving till he was seen. At the doctors office, they saw a doctor that they had never seen before. She said the leg looked fine, just bruised, but because of Tracy's concerns she would refer him to Rebound Orthopedic to be check more. No x-rays were taken and they were sent home, with a note for no PE.
Two weeks later, John got into to see Dr. Kyle Pirtle at Rebound. Kyle, as Tracy had come to know over the years she had seen him for all her injuries, did not seem concerned about Johns leg and also thought it was just bruised. John was able to walk just fine, but he couldn't run. He could, however, stand on that one foot. Kyle said he wanted to take some x-rays just to be sure because of Tracy's history. The x-rays shocked everyone. They showed that John had broke his leg less than one inch below his knee. He was put in a full leg walking cast and sent home. He was in his cast till the end of July.
Several weeks had passed since the safety plan began, and we still had not received our case file. We did however receive a notice from cps saying that I was found guilty by them of neglecting my children, and Tracy was found inconclusive. The report stated that I told them I had locked Zolynn in her room. We had 30 days to respond. I called Ms Phiffer regarding this, but could not reach her, so I spoke with her supervisor, Ms. Karen Tracy. I asked what this was about and why we had not received the case file yet. She told me that she had the file and would copy it and send it the next day and not to respond to the notice of finding until we received the file.
Three days later the file had still not arrived. Again, I called Ms. Tracy, but she had gone on vacation. Finished with this game, I called Olympia to speak with Mr. Doug Larimon, who said he would get the case and send it to us and try to find the picture from September to send as well. Shortly after we learned that he had gone on vacation as well.
When we finally did get the case file the end of July, almost two months after signing the form, but no picture. The file was overwhelmingly filled with lies and twisted truths. Some were so ridiculous that it was almost funny. Almost. We showed the file to several people who also said they knew the file to be incorrect. Once again, deceived by CPS. We no longer needed our story to be our testimony. We had their papers as proof.
Our CPS worker changed in August to a Ms. Carrie Ussuegi, and we were made to sign another safety plan. We were still meeting with Dory regularly. The missionaries were coming over regularly as well. All in all, things were going ok, except CPS.The later part of August, we were tired of being broke. I was having little to no luck finding employment, except for a company called Prime, Inc.; a trucking company who agreed to take me on and train me. The only problem was getting to their school in Springfield MO., and coming up with the initial two hundred dollars. Tracy and I agreed that she would find something and I would stay home with the kids until we got enough money up for me to go to trucking school. So Tracy ventured off. Her very first interview was on August 19th. She was hired right there by Cascade Callworks to do telemarketing. It was not the best job, but it was close to home and included an income, which was all she wanted. She was to report to orientation at noon the following Monday, followed immediately by work at 3:30pm.
On Sunday, August 22nd, Tracy was getting ready to start work the next day. This day was our baby Garrett's first birthday as well. My parents were coming over for a small party for him. My mother was going the stay for a few days to help me get adjusted to being Mr. Mom, since I always had Tracy here to help me.
Shortly before they arrived, Tracy was changing the baby and getting him ready for his party. I was in the office trying to find a few games form the computer that Garrett might enjoy. The other kids were running and playing through the house. I got up to help Tracy settle them down. As I walked around the corner into the hall way, Zolynn and I ran right into each other. She bounced off my hip, twirled and landed right on her funny bone. It was not funny at all. We got on the phone and began calling Dory, Ms. Ussuegi, and the Pediatricians office. They told us to put ice on it and make her rest with it elevated. If it appeared to swell badly or we were concerned, to call back in the next day.
The next morning it was very swollen. Tracy had to leave for work being it was her first day. This was my first day on without her and I was a little overwhelmed and worried about Zolynn. I was thankful my Mother was here to help with the other kids while I insisted on taking Zolynn to the doctor. I was not going to let what happened with johns leg happen again.
At the Pediatricians office, they looked at it and immediately sent us for x-rays. After getting the x-rays back, they made an appointment for the next day at Rebound for her. They put her arm in a ace wrap and a sling with an icepack, and sent us home for the night. She had broke her elbow, and the bone was separating. When we got home, I called Tracy at work to tell her what had transpired. She immediately told them she would not be able to come to work the following day because of Zolynn's arm. I then proceeded to also call Dory and Ms. Ussuegi.
The next day we went to the appointment and met her Doctor. He was a very nice older man. He took more x-rays and then proceeded to explain things to us. Zolynn would need surgery on her elbow. They needed to put her under to manipulate the bone back into place. Then he would put to long removable pins into her elbow to hold the bone in place for it to heal correctly. They put a splint on her and the surgery was scheduled for the next day. We went home and Tracy called her work to tell them that she would not be able to come in for one more day because of Zolynn's surgery. They were very understanding. Then, once again, we called Dory and Ms. Ussuegi to inform them.
On August 25th, We went to the hospital for Zolynn's surgery. She was very excited and proud of it. Everyone thought she was a very sweet and funny little girl. The surgery went well and was soon over. Zolynn did not come out as perky as she went in however. She claimed of it hurting and was crying wanted to go home. The nurse gave her some anti-nausea medication and told her if she felt ok in about a hour, she could go home. Zolynn did throw up shortly after, but it was just the anti-nausea medication. We got her prescription filled and soon after they let us take her home.
We called Dory and Ms. Ussuegi to let them know how it went. Ms. Ussuegi then informed Tracy that she was not able to work anymore. She told Tracy that if she went to work, they would take the kids. Tracy was to stay home with the kids no matter what. Ms. Ussuegi told us she would be coming out the next day to talk with us.
The next day Ms. Ussuegi arrived at our home with the usual CPS demeanor. She was very condescending and hostile toward us. There was a knock at the door so I went to answer it. As I was talking to the missionaries at our door, we all heard Ms. Ussuegi yelling verbal insults and threats toward Tracy. Crying, Tracy got up to have a cigarette and calm down. Ms. Ussuegi then picked up her things and left saying she was not going to take this. We were later informed that Ms. Ussuegi claimed that she was doing nothing and it was us that was yelling at her. However, the missionaries were here and heard it all.
Tracy has remained home since due to CPS as well as welfare now telling her that she has to since she has special needs children. Ms. Ussuegi left the office shortly after the confrontation at our home. We were told that at the end of that safety plan our case would be closed but for now we would remain an open voluntary case with no apparent case worker until November when we were assigned to Ms. Rachel Scott.
Dory continued to come into our home, although not as regularly as before, as she had misses several appointments. The kids started school. Zolynn was still in her cast till October when they removed the pins as well. She heal very well and now claims to have eye's in her elbow where the pins have left their scars. Being a large family, flu season struck hard as usual.
On November 3rd, we were given a puppy to train and raise with Garrett. He usually did not like animal that much, but he loved her. All the kids were excited and running thought the home. Once again, we were trying to settle them down, and once again one got hurt. This time, I was coming out of the kitchen as Nickolas was heading in there. He bumped into me and then into the corner of the wall. He got a small gash in his head just above and behind his left ear. Tracy took him into the emergency room. They were only at the ER for about an hour or two and then came home. Nickolas was a very brave little boy and was very proud of the two stamples he had gotten at the hospital. We called and reported the injury that evening when they returned so that we could tell them what happened at the ER as well.
The next day things were normal, although Garrett seemed a little congested. However, late that night and into early morning, Garrett started to choke or what appeared to be mucus. We called 911 as we did everything we could to help he get whatever it was up and breath right again. Thankfully we were able to get him to burp up a bunch of slimy greenish mucus and he was fine. It took the paramedics 15 min to arrive. If we had not been able to help him, we would have lost him since it only takes five minutes of loss of oxygen for a baby to become brain dead. The paramedics checked him over anyway to be safe. His oxygen level was at 98, his pulse was 140, his lungs sounded fine, and his color was fully back. They recommended we keep him home and propped up and take him to the doctor the following day, which we did. He checked out fine there too. Of course, as usual, we called and reported it all.
A week later, Garrett started being really fussy. Tracy and I have been saying for a while now that he does not seem to like milk and it seems to make him gassy and sick. However the doctor keeps pushing us to give him milk. Following the pediatricians advice, we tried to give him some milk that day, but by night he was fussy. We ended up calling the advice nurse, who told us he probably has a milk sensitivity and not to give him anymore. However, the Pediatrician still think we should give it to him, and said she wanted to run some more tests on him for reflux. He is scheduled for December 8th at Emanuel Children's Hospital for the reflux barium test.
On Thursday, November 18th, Dory and Ms. Scott came to our home for a meeting. This was our first time meeting her. We were under the impression that this meeting was to close our case. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, this was not Ms. Scott's plan. She wanted us to sign another safety plan for another three months. Ms. Scott said that the house looked great, but our pediatrician feels that there are concerns about the injuries the kids have acquired during the year. Dory then spoke up and said that she does not feel we need her anymore, but she is willing to work with us still. Ms. Scott insisted that we need to do this. At this point, thing did not look good.
Tracy got very upset and started crying. She stated how having this case has become detrimental to our entire family. There is a stigma that come with being involved with CPS, especially after an extended amount of time. It is not fair to us or the children to have that stigma held over us. We have had trouble getting and keeping friends due to the stigma. People do not want to let their children go to play in a home that is involved with CPS, so the children rarely get to have friends over. Tracy also mentioned that it makes her feel guilty that time and money is being wasted on us, when we are doing great, while other families who are in desperate need for help are left hanging. She then brought up the case last June about the Hazel Dell woman who killed her two small daughters after begging CPS for help for years. Of course CPS would not help them. Those girls would probably still be alive today if CPS would have actually done what they were made to do, help families, not destroy them.
I then sent Tracy outside to cool down and have a cigarette, and continued speaking with Ms. Scott and Dory. I told her that this was a volunteer case and we were done with the services. We have plenty of help with our needs through the church, our family, and the few friends we have left. We do not need them any longer. However, she continued to be persistent, even going so far as to set up an appointment for Dory to keep coming. I told her not until we get a meeting with Mr. Larimon. We did not sign the papers, and she left saying she would review the medical records and get back to us.
I began making phone calls. I called the pediatrician and confronted her about the allegations from Ms. Scott. The doctor said she had said no such thing. Her only concern was when I leave for tucking, that Tracy have adequate support with the home and children. We informed her of our involvement with the Mormon church and her concerns were put to ease knowing that the Mormon church is very supportive of it's members. I then called Ms. Scott to discuss with her the conversation we had with the doctor. She claimed that either the doctor or I was lying. We then had the doctor call Ms. Tracy, who then also claimed the doctor told her there are concerns. We are now awaiting a letter from the doctor regarding her viewpoint on this matter for proof. She is also tired of the games and lies being made up and does not understand why. When I informed Ms. Scott about the impending letter, she changed her story. She now claims that the doctor never said there were concerns, she just feels it would be good to keep it open. However, prior to learning of the letter, her claim was that the only reason for keeping us open was the doctors concerns. She has not given any other reason. That leaves no other reason since we are getting the letter from the doctor.
The entire office is starting the games now, even Mr. Larimon. Now we are being told that after they review the medical records, if there are no concerns, they will close us. However, they are coming up with more stories and lies. Why? What are they doing this for? They have been caught in lies about our family and our pediatrician. My entire family is scared now, even the ones not living with us. We are tired of the torment, lies, harassment, slander, and defamation of character from this office. Why cant they just leave us alone before they do anymore damage than they already have? There are other families out there that need the help. They need to focus on the families that need the help, and leave us alone. This is completely unfair and inexcusable. Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Robert Hawk and Family
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