Adoptees in the Media - Runaways and Homicide
- Runaway Sisters Returned to Adopted Parents - Missing N.M. Sisters Back After Fleeing to Mexico
- Police: Birth Mom Helps Girl Run Away Before Adoptive Dad Killed
Three sisters, Mercedes Marie Lara-Dickson, 14, Stacy Ellen Lara-Dickson, 13, and Elizabeth Sue Lara-Dickson, 7, ran away from their new adoptive home leaving behind a note alleging their adoptive father of abusing them. Birth mom, who lost custody of the girls due to allegations of abuse and neglect, helped the girls run away to Mexico. The girls are now back with their adoptive family. The girls had no signs of abuse from the adoptive father.
17-year-old Codee Wheeler spent her birthday in jail after being arrested and charged as an adult with homicide and arson. Codee allegedly torched the family home killing her adoptive father in the blaze. Codee accused her adoptive father with inappropriate behavior, walking around in his underwear and walking into the bathroom when she was in the shower. Her birth mother is also being charged with felony interference with custody of children as she helped hide Codee when she decided to run away after her adoptive dad was cleared.
Will these two stories have a negative impact on two very important adoption issues, open adoption and open adoption records?
I can see adoptive parents being very leery about birth parent involvement after reading these two cases. Yes, each family and case is different, but don't we tend to just react to the story at hand and not considerer the different points that make up the "meat" of each case?
Will these cases also deteriorate the view society holds of adoptees in general?
From Joanne Wolf Small, M.S.W. and author of The Adoption Mystique:
"Nearly everyone understands that labels like illegitimate and bastard convey adoptive status. They also connote cultural disapproval. Correspondingly, society considers adopted persons to be a product of bad seed. So they are damaged goods, or second best. These are the archetypes for adopted persons, the glue that connects adoption to shame and scandal. They are at the heart of the print media's adoptee bashing...."
What do you think? Click "comments" below and share.
IT IS NOT EASY TO AN ADULT ADOPTEE; I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR 10 YEARS FOR MY ADOPTEE SON BORN 10/02/1965 IN BROOKLYN NY, ADOPTED OUT FROM THE GUARDIAN ANGEL HOME 08/19/1969. STILL SEARCHING. . .
In reply to Joanne Wolf Small’s comment, I would like to start out by saying either she has never been adopted or been involed with any adoption “cases”. I am a 49 yr old adoptee who has been searching for nearly 20 yrs. To say that ‘nearly everyone understands’ is a crock. People like her write these things and get people to misunderstand what adoption is all about. I was raised by two very beautiful and loving adoptive parents who could not have children. I and my natural sister were adopted together. Most adoptees have no idea why or for what reason they were put uup for adoption and that can lead to anger and ‘acting out’ in the wrong way when the adoptee is young. With people being more understanding and less judgemental these youngs adoptees could get help and not ridiculed. Also the terms ‘illegitimate and bastard’ are more understand by ‘nearly everyone’ as terms relating to children being raised by single parents and not ‘adoptive status’. Thank you for allowing me to comment!