My Only Son, Elan Lee Montgomery Schoonover

Date of Birth: June 2, 2006

Tulsa Oklahoma

ssn: 447 21 5386

To My Dear Elan Lee:

          You were born right at noon, June 2, 2006.  Your entry into this world was not without complications; but thanks to a quick thinking nurse they were minimized.  Your head had normally passed the cervix and was completely exposed and your airways were cleaned …but you were a large baby and your right shoulder would not enter the birth canal. You were beginning to suffocate as the cervix was contracting around your neck strangling you.  Your mother was pushing as hard as she could to no avail.  It was a crisis: “Get you out and get you out now!” 

          A nurse, Lisa was her name, spontaneously jumped up on the delivery table and thrust her fist downward into your mother’s groin midway between the center and left leg with violent energy one would not be surprised to see in a boxing ring.  Contrary to what one expects of a gentle nurse with proper ‘bedside’ manner, it was a quite startling event to witness.  Unconventional as it may be considered, it was a successful move because you ‘popped’ out and almost simultaneously your umbilical cord was severed and you were ventilated and immediately began gasping for air as you were alive and safe. 

                   But not undamaged.

                           I was told your right arm had been broken.

It seems to be in vogue to sue at the drop of the hat, these days, the TV is crammed with ads by lawyers wanting contacted if a loved one is hurt in a nursing home or hospital.   The largest expense a physician has seems to be insurance premiums to protect from such lawsuits.

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          To protect themselves your arm was x-rayed and whatever else was done to you is unknown; “we must keep this incident as quiet as possible.”  “We could get sued for dislocating his shoulder and breaking his arm.” 

          I never received copies of the x-rays showing the damage to your shoulder and arm; I only have three pages of the hospital records on which there are small notations that there is ‘a problem’ with it.  I also never gave thought to any kind of law suit.  In time it would heal and that would be the end of it.  The damage to your arm was a small expense to pay for you to live as, in my opinion, had Lisa not struck you with such force [I watched and photographed] you would have strangled to death in the birth canal by the cervix constricting around your neck as your head had already turned blue and it was critical to get you out.  Immediately.

          As much suing as there is these days I can understand the paranoia of the medical staff at your birth.  What they do not understand is that my gratefulness for the action that saved your life far outweighs any thought to the minor injury that I would call an unavoidable consequence of a necessary act. 

          The only way it could have been avoided would have been for a surgeon to have grabbed a scalpel and sliced your mother open from womb to navel.  Not a practical option.

          You would not use your right arm for quite some time and this little birthing ‘incident’ would play a large part  of wrecking havoc in our lives when you were but five months of age  that would affect the rest of our lives.

          You were brought home to begin our happy life together June 4, 2006. 

          Late evening, June 6, the memory of D day still in the minds of the Normandy invaders and historians and military buffs across the nation, all was quiet and peaceful.  The little tyke, at four days old, had just had a fresh diaper installed by my hand and was waiting for the delivery of another body temperature custom meal from your personal milk factory when there was a pounding on the back door.

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                             Who at this hour?

          Armed guards with automatic weapons were standing just outside the door as an escort for a young woman with a clipboard.  D.H.S had come to “protect” Pamela Wheeler’s child, Elan Lee Montgomery Wheeler.

                   Just what does this child need ‘protecting’ from?

          This is a large house; albeit there is little furniture and three rooms are used for storage there are two baths and an extra unused bedroom quite sufficient for the extra queen size bed and a bassinette.  Pamela wheeler and I shared the kitchen.

          D.H.S. showed no interest in the water supply, which has not been tested, nor the septic system, nor any potential outdoor hazards.  Does the dog bring in fleas or deer ticks that could infect the child?  These were some of the concerns of the Idaho H.E.W. when I was licensed to care for a total of sixteen foster kids over a ten year period.

          For approval of my Idaho Foster Care license I also had to install smoke detectors and change the ‘type’ of electric fence around the yard that kept our bovine out. 

          Pamela Wheeler was asked to step outside for an interview.  Was she aware that I had been “involved” in the death of a child six years ago?  Had she been told I spent four years in prison charged with his death?  Does John show any propensity to violence around infant Elan?

          Pamela Wheeler had taken a terrible risk!  She had brought an innocent helpless infant into the home of an accused child killer!

          D.H.S. had little regard for the fact that a jury of twelve and five judges had acquitted your father of any wrongdoing.  Their attitude was not that I was innocent, but that I had gotten away with murder.  The final ruling of the Court of Criminal Appeals was that your father had broken no law and had our Constitution’s laws been upheld, I could not have even been charged with any crime in the first place!

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          With the support of armed guards on either side, D.H.S. sternly warned, “If anything happens to that child you will be held responsible.”

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          I am your father, John Edward Schoonover.  Born February 3, 1937.  My ssn: 448 34 9309. Pamela Christine Brook is your natural mother.  She was born May 25, 1974 in Colorado.  Her ssn is 526 83 9696.  We were not ‘married’ for your conception, which was planned long in advance.  You are not the result of a “one night stand” between two ships passing in the night.  Neither of us was drunk and both of us married…to other spouses, both of whom are infertile.  Your creation was a calculated deliberate act.

          D.H.S. has no problem making this an issue by publicizing you as “born out of wedlock” and considering you some sort of second class human ignoring the fact that surrogating is a legitimate word in our dictionary and sanctioned by the Christian’s God of Abraham.

          Call that what you will; not neglecting to remember Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar. Sarah could not conceive.  As you may be raised in the “Christian” environment, you must not judge us for what was done to bring you into this world unless you first judge the above three whose acts were sanctified by their God.  Their purpose was the creation of Ishmael and without their sanctified act he would not have existed.  Like Ishmael, you were desperately wanted. . .  From the Genesis. 

          I loved you from the day the EPT strip turned blue. I am writing this beginning December 25, 2006.  I love you dearly.  You are my son.  I will love you to my final breath.

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