Blind couple in Missouri gets baby back

Independence - A Missouri couple has had their newborn returned to them after 57 days of the baby girl and her parents being separated by the state.

When Erika Johnson gave birth to her daughter Mikaela she knew that neither she nor the child's father, Blake Sinnett would ever see her. It wasn't because they are unfit parents but it was because they are both blind. Still, both parents knew what their child felt like, smelled like and sounded like when she cried. Still, after an incident while trying to breast feed with a lactation specialist present, a nurse wrote on Johnson's chart, "The child is without proper custody, support or care due to both of parents being blind and they do not have specialized training to assist them." It was those words that set into motion a horrible series of events for both Johnson and Sinnett. The Missouri Department of Social Services paid them a visit in the hospital where they were asked a series of questions including how they will take Mikaela's temperature and how they will get her to the doctor should be come sick. Johnson answered all the questions honestly saying that they have a verbal thermometer they use take their own temperatures with and depending on the severity of the illness they would either take a cab or bus or if it was life threatening an ambulance to the hospital. The social worker then informed Johnson that they would need to have 24-hour help for Mikaela, something Johnson and Sinnett couldn't afford, which they told the social worker. As she got ready to leave Johnson recalled her saying, "Look, because you guys are blind, I don't feel like you can adequately take care of her." It wasn't until Johnson was ready to be discharged that she was informed that the couple would not be able to take their child home with them, and that Mikaela was being placed with Social Services. The couple was allowed to visit their daughter the next day before she was discharged, but they were not allowed to hold her, or even kiss her. All the couple was allowed to do was touch her leg. The couple then contacted Gary Wunder, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri who through do dilligence found the couple to be more than fit parents and with the help of Kansas City chapter president Shelia Wright retained the legal services of Amy Coopman. On Tuesday Mikaela, Johnson & Sinnett were all reunited after 57 days. 57 days that according to Coopman the family will never get back. Johnson was quoted Tuesday as saying, "We never got the chance to be parents. We had to prove that we could." Johnson said that she is resentful that people judged her ability to be a parent based on her blindness and never gave her a chance. Still, he said she is a forgiving person, even though she was only allowed to see her child two or three times a week for one-hour under the direct supervision of a foster parent. On Tuesday even Coopman cried tears of joy with the family saying, "I'm sorry, but this should not have happened." Johnson did indicate that they are planning on filing legal action over the events that have taken place. She noted, "Whether a couple is visually impaired or deaf or in a wheelchair, the state should not keep them from their children." The Missouri Social Services Department would not comment on the situation and the hospital, Centerpoint Medical Center of Independence also would not comment citing privacy laws but they did issue a small statement saying, "We put the welfare of our patients as our top priority."