The story of Monicas aunt

May 5, 2007

Celeste

I would like to comment on Pams posting. I am Monicas maternal Aunt. The statement that Monica did not have any family that wanted her is not correct and I hope she never reads that.

My sister, Monicas mother, has a severe alcohol problem. I tried so many times to be supportive of my sister and help her and her children until finally I had to cut all ties with my sister to protect my own children.

When my sister was temporarily staying at my house when she was 7 months pregnant and homeless she decided to cook at two in the morning (drunk of course) I woke up to my smoke detectors going off and my kitchen on fire. My sister was so drunk she was cooking on the stove with tupperware plastic products.

My own daughter was only 13months old at the time.

When the aid unit got to my house my sister refused to go to the hospital. I pleaded with the paramedics to please take her for her unborn childs sake and lock her up so she can't drink.

They told me they couldn't force her...that she had rights. What about the babies rights I asked them....they said the baby doesn't have any rights until it is born.

So SAD....two months later she delivered and I was in the labor room with her. The alcohol fumes were toxic and they still let her take the baby home. I couldn't believe it.

She had two more children after that. Monica being the last (?) All were born with fetal alcohol problems.

How did the State let her take those babies out of the hospital still amazes me to this day.

Monicas life story is very complicated. I moved to California in 1997 to get away from Monicas Mom....the constant phone calls in the middle of the night, the showing up at my house drunk, scaring my children because her behavior was uncontrolable, stealing my car and crashing it ( hit and run )...I could go on and on and on.

You see taking Monica would have meant continued contact with my sister which puts my own children in danger. I could not risk my own childrens safty.

I have not seen my sister for the last ten years because of her lifestyle.

I would gladly take Monica as I tried to do before when she was one but my sister wouldn't let me unless I turned Monica over to Enrique which I refuesed to do so....Monica ended up spending her first Christmas and her first birthday in fostercare while her mother sat in jail.

How sad is that?

If my sister was locked up and I could be guarenteed no harrasment from my sister I would more than happily take on the care of Monica.

I have 3 children, 2 are grown and gone but I still have my 12 year old son at home still who is Monicas cousin.

I have pictures of them together when they were little....it's sad to say but I knew back then Monica didn't stand a chance.

The State seems to protect the mothers rights not the childs.

The alcoholic mother chose Enrique to raise her daughter and the State let her make that decision so she could have continued contact with Monica.

I wanted Monica to have no contact with my sister for Monicas own well being. Ah but the Mother has rights, let's not forget.

This sad sad story could have been prevented from the start.