Petition to Gov. Crist to help Erin Markes, young Mother with sick child wrongly arrested for abuse

Email Print posted by Pensacola 04/10/2008 06:29:30 AM EST

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<h2>Petition to Crist for Markes</h2>

Dianna Fitzgerald and the Lissencephaly Network have an online petition asking Gov. Crist to help Erin Markes:

Dear Governor Charlie Crist:

Erin’s son was dealt one of the cruelest hands in life. Now, DCF in Florida takes his mother away. The only joy this boy has known. Sadly, these are probably the last few days of this little guy’s life – doesn’t he deserve to spend them wrapped in his mother’s arms.

We, the undersigned, want you to exonerate Erin of all charges and send her son home. Let this little boy be surrounded by the family that loves him and cares for him. No one can ever predict how long a child with lissencephaly can live. The human spirit is an amazing thing. Keeping this little boy away from his mother extinguishes a little of that spark. He deserves more. As a society we owe it to him. We cannot punish him or his mother for circumstance out of their control.

Stop the madness. Drop the charges against Erin and send her son home.

To sign online: Exonerate Erin and Give her child back

 

http://gopetition.com/petit ions/exonerate-erin.html

 This happened in Santa Rosa County Florida, just east of Pensacola. To give you an idea of how annal retentive these moralistic idiot Neocons and backwoods Baptist are, they actually voted for Katherine Harris in Santa Rosa County the last time she ran.

 This young mother moved down here about 10 months ago from I think Michigan. Any way, this government abuse from people that don't know what the hell they doing needs to stop and I sure would appreciate some TYT help in signing the petition and getting the attention of Gov Crist.

 

 Thanks for taking the time. Please if you can, pass this petition information to anyone you can think of who might take the time to get this Momma back with her sick child. 

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Petition to Gov. Crist to help Erin Markes, young Mother with sick child wrongly arrested for abuse | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
Article from Pensacola News Journal (none / 0)
<h1>Mom back in court</h1> <h2>Custody hearing for Markes' disabled child set for today</h2>

Kris Wernowsky • kwernowsky@pnj.com • April 10, 2008

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A custody hearing is scheduled today for the child at the center of a criminal neglect case involving a young Pace mother.

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Erin B. Markes, 19, was arrested March 28, accused of allowing her 4-year-old son, who suffers from the developmental brain disorder lissencephaly, to become severely malnourished.

The child, who was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital, and weighed less than 15 pounds, was dehydrated and suffered from bed sores.

Markes' hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. today before Circuit Judge Marci Goodman at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse. Today's hearing is separate from the felony criminal charge of neglect of a child that Markes faces.

Markes was released from jail last week. She is allowed to have supervised visits with her son, who is under the care of a Department of Children and Families medical foster care facility.

Dianna Fitzgerald, the director of The Lissencephaly Network, a support group for parents of children with the birth defect, recently started an online petition in an attempt to get Gov. Charlie Crist to override the criminal charge against Markes.

As of Wednesday, 360 people had signed the petition.

Fitzgerald, whose 21-year-old son is the third oldest living person in the world with the birth defect, said her organization has documented only 98 cases of the Markes child's rare strain of the brain defect known as Miller-Dieker syndrome.

Children with Miller-Dieker syndrome have an average life expectancy of 21„2 years, she said. The low body weight of Markes' son is consistent with his length of 28 inches, she said.

Fitzgerald said that her son, who does not suffer from Miller-Dieker, weighed only 12 pounds when he was 2 years old.

She said Markes had contacted her organization, shortly after her baby was diagnosed four years ago.

"I am not just sticking up for her because she is one of my own," Fitzgerald said. "My purpose is to get the most information out there and help the mom."

Janice Thomas, the regional director of the Florida Department of Children and Families, said Wednesday that she has never encountered a case of Miller-Dieker syndrome in her work with the state agency

Thomas said it's possible that Markes could regain custody of her son if she can provide proper care.

"If the call we made in the beginning was wrong because we had the wrong information, we would change that," Thomas said.

from:

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbc s.dll/article?AID=/20080410 /NEWS01/804100316/1006/NEWS 01#pluckcomments

by Pensacola on 04/10/2008 06:56:28 AM EST

Nancy Grace crucifies Erin Markes (none / 0)
<h2>Nancy Grace crucifies Markes</h2>

CNN talking head Nancy Grace - who is known for sensationalism and over-the-top theatrics - really attacked Erin Markes last week. It made her “Best of” clip for the week.

Quote: “Don’t worry. Mommy never missed a meal. And I’m sure she is having a lovely dinner tonight behind bars.”

Here is the clip (You have to get past the commercial, Markes is mentioned at 1:08 of the Grace highlights): Best of Nancy Grace

Tags: Erin Markes, Nancy Grace by Rick Outzen
3 Comments »

by Pensacola on 04/10/2008 07:31:18 AM EST

The Nancy Grace clip has Erin at the end (none / 0)

 The Nancy Grace clip has Erin Markes in the last 20 seconds of the clip.

 Nice job Nancy. Bitch


by Pensacola on 04/10/2008 07:42:14 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Exonerate Erin and Give her child back (none / 0)
This is the information from the petition site about the health issues of this child.


At first glance, this is a horrifying case of neglect. How could any mother not feed her child? Only when you delve deeper into the story will you find the truth. Erin is no criminal, no monster – but a victim of tragic circumstance.

Erin’s son was born with a severe and terminal birth defect of the brain called lissencephaly. (smooth brain) He suffers from seizures, chronic respiratory problems and severe feeding intolerance. He cannot walk, talk, sit, or play like your average baby. Most children like him die before their second birthday. The average age is 5. There is no cure, nor the hope of a cure in the future.

Feeding problems in a child with severe disabilities are unpredictable and uncontrollable. Most times a feeding tube is your first option. But a feeding tube is not a “magic pill” for all feeding problems. In fact, it can open the door to more. Reflux is a condition where the food basically bounces back and forth from the stomach to the esophagus. Hampering absorption of nutrients and medications. In delayed stomach emptying food basically sits there, undigested and unable to properly pass to the small intestine where all foods are absorbed. Most children with lissencephaly have these problems and do fare well once a J-tube is inserted. (Fed directly into the intestine) Erin’s son was not yet given this option. Few doctors are versed with extreme feeding intolerance making the diagnosis and treatment a lengthy process.

What causes these problems? In children like Erin’s son, the brain simply is not strong enough to keep all of his systems in proper working order. This is out of mom’s control. If he is having a bad seizure day, these problems are magnified. For most children like him, their problems are like a dog chasing his tail. If they are having a particularly bad feeding day, their medicines are either being thrown up or not absorbed and their seizures are increased. If they are having numerous seizures their brain is too weak to keep all systems running properly.

The news accounts will tell you that Erin Markes did not feed her child and no medicines were detected in his system. They will also post a CDC growth chart for children. But what they didn’t tell you is that he has suffered feeding intolerance since birth. That his drug levels were “low”. (Due to absorption issues.) They also did not explain that the CDC “standard” growth chart does not even apply to a child with his condition. Children with severe developmental delay typically fall below or off the chart due to their chronic health problems. To put it in perspective, Erin’s son is not much longer than a 9-10 month-old-child. The news will tell you Erin’s son had bedsores. What they don’t tell you is bedsores are pretty unavoidable when you are severely underweight. You can get them from laying in bed, sitting in a chair or being rubbed by an attachment on a wheelchair.

Caring for a child with lissencephaly is a 24-hour-a day job. Most families have the luxury of an RN helping them. Erin did all of this on her own. She is a single – extremely young mother who, at the age of 15, was handed a severely sick, dying child with nothing but a pat on the back and a wish to do well. The simple fact that she was able to keep a 10 pound, 4-year-old child with lissencephaly alive speaks volumes to her care. Parents of other children with this disorder applaud and admire her valiant efforts. She did her best. Don’t jump to conclusions by reports that Erin herself states, “I could have done more.” What parent doesn’t wish they could do more? When you are faced with a dying child, certainly you think you could do more. Erin did all she could.

by Pensacola on 04/10/2008 08:13:09 AM EST

Markes victim of the system, not criminal (none / 0)
<h2>Markes victim of the system, not criminal</h2><h2> from: http://ricksblog.biz/?cat=9 03
</h2>

Dianna Fitzgerald, founder of the National Lissencephaly Network, believes Erin Markes is courageous mother who is a victim of the local justice system. In an interview on IN Your Head Radio, Fitzgerald says that she thinks it’s a miracle that Markes kept her son alive this long.

Listen to Fitzgerald interview.

by Pensacola on 04/15/2008 04:17:47 PM EST

Petition to Gov. Crist to help Erin Markes, young Mother with sick child wrongly arrested for abuse | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
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