A Tle of Two Cities

Time line

* February 23, 2003: Death of Amber and Lily's Aunt Tammy Wilson -Saicth. Blanche Wilson's sister, at age 30 and Amber's favorite Aunt. This tragedy is made worse by media attention and negative publicity. Amber age 11, Lily age 8.

* January-March, 2004: Amber is admitted to Four Winds a Mental facility in Westchester (White Plains) According to Amber she was there for 2 Ð... months, visited very little by anyone. 1 visit from Matthew Felton (who signed her out) 2 visits from her mother and 3 visits from a neighbor. I was not aware my niece had suffered a breakdown. Lily was able to visit her sister only once in 75 days. Amber age 12, Lily age 9.

* September 2005: Amber Felton is informed that her mother's illness is terminal and she knew her mother had aids for 5 years prior to her death. Amber 12, Lily 9

* November 2005- June 20, 2006: Amber and Lily enter foster care for next 20 months. I was available to help my nieces at that time but my name was lost until December 6, 2005. Amber age 13, Lily age 9

* March 3, 2006: Death of Mrs. Blanche Daniels, age 35. Girls sent right to school (I have seen more grief demonstrated over the loss of pets than I saw expressed for these young girls mother. Interesting to note that all people around them still had mothers for the most part and were not mothers themselves, Mr. Bailey, not even a woman, the foster mother, no natural children, lacking knowledge and experience in pregnancy and childbirth, I felt the death of Mrs. Daniels was trivialized and brushed off. (that is my opinion) As a mother and grandmother, I was offended as I and many others view the loss of a parent, especially the mother to be one of the major stress events that can happen to a person in life. And a tragedy when your parent dies and you are under age 18. Mrs. Daniels died March 3, 2006 the day after Lily's 11, birthday. I took the girls to American Girl Place and got Nicole (a doll) whose birthday was March 4, 2006. Amber age 14, Lily age 11.