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Christmas miracle for one daddy
By The ODea Family | December 13, 2007
Merry Christmas all! This is Melinda, little miss baby O’Dea’s grandma and I have some WONDERFUL news to post! 
Here’s an article about a young man who had his child ‘attempted’ to be adopted out by the mormon birth mother without his consent to a momon family. He and his family battled in court and WON!
Not surprising, this fiasco was attempted with the blessing and help of the LDS Family Services. All I can say is HOW ARROGANT of LDS Family Services to take this baby and hand it to people in Utah thinking they could get away with this yet one more time. Do they really feel they’re untouchable? If so they’re sadly mistaken!
This ‘wanna-be’ adopted couple even had a story written about them in I believe a sad attempt to stir up sympathy for their plight. Sorry, no sympathy here, not when you try and use the law to deprive a birth father and grandparents of their own flesh and blood.
Click here to go to that story.
Here’s where you’ll find the story in the Coeur d’Alene Press that I’m going to post below, ’Adopted child returned to biological dad’. There’s an online comment section underneath the story you can read and post if you like without having to sign up.
Sadly there’s comments by someone all to familar to us (one who follow us around the net trying to smear our family) that are full of lies and twist. These two postings were done December 12th at 7:49 pm and December 12th at 10:00 pm. (I post under tencity on the CdA story comments)
I intend to keep my eyes on the blessing of this child being brought back to his daddy and grandparents for Christmas and not let anything or anyone interfere with or attempt to put a damper on the joy! How happy this young man and his family must be to have their little man HOME where he belongs! Oh my gosh, WE’RE HAPPY FOR THEM!! We’re sooooooooooooooooo happy that justice was done in this case and this little man is coming home. WHAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT, thank you Lord!!
Adopted child returned to biological dad
By MARC STEWART
Staff writer
Magistrate rules father never gave up parental rights to newborn son
COEUR d’ALENE — A Utah couple is in the midst of an adoption horror story after being told they must return the baby to its biological father in Coeur d’Alene because he never waived his parental rights.
Magistrate Barry Watson ruled that Matt Tenneson, 20, be given temporary primary custody of his 5 and 1/2-month old son and ordered Jed and Cally Nielson of American Fork, Utah, to relinquish custody as soon as possible.
“It seems Matthew is amenable to learning to be a father,” Watson said. “My heart goes out to the Nielsons. Hopefully, (the custody transfer) is done in the least traumatic way.”
Tuesday’s ruling was another legal victory for Tenneson. His attorney, Anne Solomon, argued that the adoption happened without his consent. The adoption agency, LDS Family Services, is appealing an earlier ruling that nullified the adoption.
“Matt never signed a consent to terminate his parental rights,” Solomon said.
The birth mother, Cammie Knight, said she was shocked by Watson’s decision.
“I still haven’t come to grips with the fact my baby is coming home and we have the responsibility of taking him on,” the 19-year-old Knight said. “We couldn’t have done it then, and we still can’t. We’re going to be depending on two homes and having our parents support us financially.”
Baby Knight was born last June and given to the Utah couple shortly thereafter, court records show.
Matt Tenneson’s mother said her son won’t be granting interviews for the foreseeable future.
“It’s an ongoing case and we don’t want to jeopardize that,” Karen Tenneson said.
Court records indicate that Matt Tenneson stopped speaking with Knight around the seventh month of her pregnancy. Knight described her relationship with Tenneson as non-existent and that he failed to support her during the pregnancy.
“I always had to take the initiative and call him,” Knight said. “He never did that for me.”
Knight said she and Tenneson discussed the baby’s future often and that Tenneson was conflicted on what to do. Court records show that on one occasion Tenneson suggested she get an abortion. When Knight refused that idea, they talked about adoption or keeping it.
“He couldn’t make up his mind,” Knight said. “It was emotionally wearing. My son needed a loving family. I still stick by my decision to give him up for adoption.”
Cally Nielson told the Deseret Morning News that she and her husband are talking with their attorney to see how to handle the baby exchange.
“We’re absolutely devastated,” Nielson told the Utah paper in an emotional interview.
LDS Family Services handled the adoption for the Nielsons. The Mormon organization has filed an appeal of an earlier court ruling that gave Tenneson parental rights.
Knight said she picked LDS Family Services because her family is Mormon.
“I wanted the baby to have an actual home. I wanted him to have a good life,” Cammie Knight said in court.
Knight said she believes Tenneson’s parents are behind the custody battle,
“I think a big part of this is Matt’s mother,” Knight said. “She wants to be a grandmother.”
Watson cautioned the grandparents about becoming the primary custodians of the child.
“I want the grandparents to support this baby, but they need to take a back seat to the parents,” Watson said.
Topics: Adoption |
Are you in sane!! That baby is going to have the worst life because some grandma is so selfish. Now that child will not have a mom and dad who have a great home environment and will be in a family with no mom and who knows what kind of a dad he will be. You are an idiot to think he is in the right place!!!
Ed note: I’m going to have to disagree with you on pretty much all of your points. But thank you for your opinion on this matter.
Posted by: An adopte mother on December 22nd, 2007 at 12:56 amIt’s about time a birth father get’s his child that was stole in the wonderful world of LDS family services. It’s ashame he didn’t ask for att fee’s like the case in Texas where shawn mcdonald was awarded 100 thousand dollars that good old LDS has to pay. Maybe when LDS pays out enough and the other adoption agencys following in their foot steps see that doing adoptions this way isn’t going to work and they have to pay then maybe it will stop. This baby if left in the care of down right baby stealers will grow up not trusting women and with the fear of having his child stole.
Posted by: sandra mc on December 30th, 2007 at 3:55 amWell, I found your site while I was searching for my friend’s adoption profile. I was horrified when I read your page! I’m sorry you and your son are feeling so much pain right now.
My story is a lot different from yours, but the pain I felt was very similar. I wanted children desperately. My husband and I tried for 5 1/2 years without any luck. We went through LDS Family Services and adopted a beautiful baby boy. We only wanted our profile viewed by birth parents that were BOTH willing to relinquish their parental rights. My son’s birth parents both felt that they were way too young to raise this child together, and they wanted the best for their child. They wanted to give him a family…a mother and a father. My son’s grandparents wanted the same. Of course it was hard for them…they grieved for their grandchild, but knew it was the best decision for their grandchild. They put him first instead of themselves…I admire them for that.
It is amazing to me that anyone can make a child, but not everyone can adopt a child. I think EVERYONE needs to be evaluated before allowing them to raise a child. We had to jump through so many hoops to qualify for adoption. Believe me, I didn’t mind doing the jumping either. Children are precious and DESERVE not only a family, but a great family. Someone to love and cherish them forever.
I am sorry for your family’s pain, and it is unfortunate the way this has all turned out. I do feel that the birthmother has the right to make the decision to place her child up for adoption. It is her body, and she carried that child for nine months. I do feel that the birthfather should have the right to also apply for adoption of their own child. They should go through the same screening as the adoptive parents do. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Maybe in time, it will change. Hopefully we’ll all need a license to parent a child.
As for you and your family, I have to wonder if you are really putting this child first. This baby girl was adopted by a family who loves her. They have comforted her, taken care of her, given her all that she needs. Those parents are probably her entire world. To pluck her from that family is just wrong. Put that baby girl first. Consider the affects from taking her out of her home. That is all she knows! I am truly sorry for everything you are going through, but imagine the scars YOU will cause if you take her from her family. Maybe you can work something out with the adoptive family. Correspondence, pictures, videos, letters. Please put this child first!
Posted by: Natalie on January 26th, 2008 at 5:35 pmFirst off to Natalie, what happens when your adopted son becomes an adult, gets a girl pregnant and the girl decides to give up your “grandchild” for adoption. You will sit by and do nothing because as you state:
“It is her body, and she carried that child for nine months. I do feel that the birthfather should have the right to also apply for adoption of their own child. They should go through the same screening as the adoptive parents do.”
I carried 2 children for 9 months and 3 weeks and NEVER once was I so selfish did I believe I owned a child and the child’s father should have to go through screening.
Are you saying it’s just single dads, young dads, non christian dads, all dads, WHAT KIND OF DADS have to through screening.
Just because the system made YOU go through screening doesn’t mean a biological father or mother should have to go through screening to adopt a child. They are not property. It doesn’t matter what your fico score is, who your neighbors are and what kind of house you live in. The fact is you can’t conceive a child so you are mad and making ridiculous statements.
Maybe everyone should be screened and those that fail then what? Ban them to an island and take their children? Maybe they can be baby makers for the people who pass the screening (don’t forget politics play a role so more then a few will pass the screening because of who they know).
I think the dad is putting this child first. It’s HIS CHILD! He conceived it. Without him there would be no baby. Just because the woman he got pregnant decided she doesn’t want anything to do with her own flesh and blood does not make the guy whose sperm fertilizied her egg any less of a dad. His parents are willing to help. So what, for shame. I mean I have a 21 year old daughter who WANTS her baby and will have it any day now. And should she decide to give it up for adoption her boyfriend would be right behind her to take the child and I’m the next one in line. I love my grandchild and it’s not even born. It’s called a BOND between a biological parent and their child that no adoptive parent will ever know. I know what it felt like when she moved inside of me. I saw her body when she kicked me. I was in labor for 24+ hours with her. I sat in the hospital for 16 hours a day rocking her while she was sick. NO ONE but me her MOM can ever have that bond. And I felt my son kick. He was 8 1/2 lbs. I tried for 12+ hours to give birth to my son but his shoulders were to wide and they ended up having to use a suction cup, he wouldn’t fit thru my birthing canal. BUT YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HOW THAT FEELS. Nor will your husband know what it’s like to watch is wife in labor with his children, in pain, scared but excited, almost fainting.
You just passed a test so you got to buy a kid. Great for you.
Guess what, I raised a wonderful child who loves me, has my genes and will soon have a child who has my genes. And any person that would deny a FATHER the right to his child is SICK.
You are selfish. You are jealous. It’s YOUR problem not the bio dads
And no I don’t know either of them or you. I was horrified. How would I feel if my son got a girl pregnant and she did this? I’d run after that girl and beg for custody for my son.
It’s woman like her that make other woman look bad. And thanks to your comments you made woman look even worse!
Posted by: Horrified on October 29th, 2008 at 4:53 amThis very thing happened to my son and our family except the bio mom lied and said the child died at birth. We didn’t know he was adopted until a year and a half later. At this point, my grandson was well established in his adoptive family and we chose to leave him there for his sake, but the adoptive parents will not even acknowledge us. It is wrong what the system does to bio dads. My only hope now is that my grandson finds us and finds out the truth
Posted by: Bio Grammy on May 31st, 2009 at 12:21 pmI am sorry for what you are going through. I am sure I don’t even know the start of how much you have suffered over the last 3 years.
That being said I just wonder what you think it would do to your granddaughter to be pulled from the only parents she knows? She is 3! I have a 3 year old and I can’t imagine what kind of trauma that would to her. It makes my heart hurt. I know you feel that you need justice, but when does your love for her exceed that pain? I have watched her grow up. She is amazing. She is completely smitten with her Daddy. She is the happiest little girl I have ever seen. A lot of that comes from the love she receives from her parents. They love her totally. I know you do too. When will it be enough to say enough is enough? I guarantee her crying and wanting her Daddy & Mommy would not be the reward you are looking for.
I wonder if you can accept the injustice that has been done, as you feel. Be angry with the birth mother if you must, but please don’t make that sweet baby girl pay! She will love you. There will come a day that she will know you as her family and love you for it, but not on this path.
Again I can’t even imagine how you feel. I am so ssorry for your loss, but it is not forever! She will love you for your sacrifice just like she will love her birth mother for hers.
Posted by: When is it enough? on July 31st, 2009 at 3:32 amI am literally appalled at some of these stories here and at the arrogance of LDS Social services. I mean I’ve heard the ads on Tv and radio where they try to lure young women in with guilt but I had no idea of the levels they will stoop to to ensure children are placed in LDS homes. My sister was pressured by our Mother to give her child up for adoption and refused and she succeeded in finding a good man who adopted her child and raised a wonderful young girl into a good young lady. I can’t imagine what life would be without that young girl in all of our lives. The LDS assume they are the only ones who can raise children in a loving environment. Yet how is it that their divorce rate is no different than the rest of the population? How is it that Utah is number 1 in the nation for teen suicide? Number 7 in child abuse? What it is is an illusion backed by arrogance and I for one am appalled that any religion that claims to be so family oriented would purposely attempt to deny a blood father their right to raise a child given to them by a loving God.
Posted by: Mike C on November 17th, 2009 at 1:28 amActually, I am not jealous…I do have three biological children of my own. I wish everyone did need to go through a screening to have children. Children are a privilege. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I do think that birthfathers should have rights to their children. If they are stable, responsible people, then sure. But in this case, the child was already placed in an adoptive home. To pluck the child out of a stable, loving home is just plain selfish. Put the child first! This is not a competition!
Posted by: Natalie on March 31st, 2010 at 11:06 pmТУТ НЕ СПРАВОЧНАЯ
Posted by: Baburin on April 22nd, 2010 at 11:37 pmAdoptive parents are not the same as birth parents, when they look at a child they do not see their genes, they see a possession and a “right” to be a parent. That “right” to another human being that they try to steal from birth parents is otherwise known as slavery.
Posted by: Chrissy on July 21st, 2010 at 8:57 amI’ve just now come across this case while researching adoption since my husband and I have been struggling to conceive on our own. It’s very depressing to see that babies can actually be returned to biological parents after they have been legally adopted. I am now leaning toward international adoption. I hope cases like these don’t leave American children as orphans while prospective adoptive parents go abroad to avoid catastrophic decisions like this one. I can’t imagine how I would feel if we were to adopt a baby, begin raising it and have it taken away from us, its family. I’m not sure I can take that risk.
Posted by: Tiffany on July 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 pm