A tale of a mother’s love
We love everything about our lives in Chicago except the fact that we are far from family. With four kids, I definitely have days where I want to run to my “mommy” for some help, encouragement and a little bit of sanity.
Thankfully, I have friends around who are almost available to help fill the gaps. But what if I didn’t?
Twenty-year-old Nunu Sung arrived alone in the United States as a refugee, with little community support or English-speaking ability. Unfortunately, an older man took advantage of her needs and left her pregnant.
Even more unfortunately, Nunu, feeling helpless and alone, gave birth to her son and abandoned him. She accepted a plea deal that would punish her crime of abandoning her newborn son, but allow her to prove her ability to care for her son and allow her to take on her parental rights to her son in time.
The agreement provided her son with a foster family who would be a part of the process of working to reunite mother and son. Nunu has contributed to her son’s upbringing during this time by providing him with food, clothing and diapers. She has consistently proven her love, devotion and commitment to her son. While she serves her prison term, she sends letters to her son each week describing her great love for him, how often she thinks about him and her plans for their reunion.
Unfortunately, the court is now going back on the terms of Nunu’s plea agreement not to terminate her parental rights. Nunu believed that if she agreed to the plea agreement, she would gain custody of her son after serving a prison term for lying to police about the birth of her son. Currently, Kathleen Anderson, the Guardian ad Litem to Nunu’s son, has petitioned Judge C. Stanley Austin to terminate Nunu’s parental rights in spite of the fact that this petition is in direct contradiction to and in violation of the terms of the plea deal. DuPage County State’s Attorney, Bob Berlin, is overseeing the prosecuting attorney, Augusta Clark.
This travesty and injustice sends the message to mothers that even if they comply with all the requirements of DCFS and the court, the court may arbitrarily renege on the agreement to reunite mother and son.
I cannot understand why the court is acting against Nunu in this instance, when usually the reuniting children with their birth parents is given the highest priority. On October 19, 2011, the judge will decide whether or not to revoke Nunu’s rights to see her son.
I have been in situations with my own kids where I have felt desperate for help from an ally. I hope that you will consider being an ally for Nunu. To get more information about this case and what you can do to help, check out the blog of my friend, Susan.
Surely moms know better than anyone else how love for our children can work to right wrongs, even the ones we ourselves have committed.
Category: Community, Little Ones, Mom Challenges, New Posts, Parenting
HEADING OVER NOW. It seems like our system is always working against good people who made a mistake but keeps putting kids back with bad parents who truly are doing long term damage to their kids. So sad!!
Thank you, Melanie, for sharing Nunu’s story with the audience of thechicagomoms.com. Exposure regarding the circumstances of Nunu’s case is crucial for placing pressure on Judge Austin and the prosecution team to yield a fair and just outcome—reuniting Nunu with her son, Joshua.
~Susan