Dead Baby Sues

January 17, 2008 permalink

Another case of the dead baby scam has come to light, this time in Alberta. The natural mother of Denice Poland was misinformed that her baby had died, clearing the way for her to be adopted by Donna Morrison and her late husband.

From the facts in the article, entirely sympathetic to the adoptive mother, it appears that the natural mother, the adoptive mother and the child were all victims of a scammer, so it is unlikely that a suit between the child and adoptive mother can remediate the problem. Since this is litigation, it contains the possibility that discovery within the suit will lead to the true wrongdoers in the case.

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Woman sues adoptive mother

Duncan Thorne, Edmonton Journal, Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Donna Morrison holds a statement of claimed filed against her by her adoptive daughter, Denice Poland, who alleges the adoption was fraudulent.
CREDIT: Greg Southam, Edmonton Journal

An Edmonton-area woman is suing her adoptive mother for half a million dollars for allegedly telling her birth mother she died at birth.

Denice Poland, now 44, is also suing Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital, where she was born, the Alberta government and two doctors for matching amounts.

"It's like a big stab in the old heart and soul and body and mind," Donna Morrison, Poland's adoptive mother, said in response Monday.

"I'm just so flabbergasted that after 42 years this is happening. I'm totally confused right now," said Morrison, a 71-year-old widow who walks with a cane and lives in a subsidized building for seniors.

She also described Poland as materialistic.

"I still basically love that girl, but my thoughts are so jumbled up. Should I have adopted 42 years ago, or should I have left well enough alone?" she said.

"If somebody was to ask me today if I'd do the same thing, I wouldn't know how to answer."

Poland was born Aug. 13, 1963. Morrison and her first husband, who died 25 years ago, took Poland in as a foster child before formally adopting her in 1965.

In her statement of claim, Poland alleges someone told her biological parents she had died at birth. She claims this person had no authority to provide medical services but he or she, along with the hospital and Morrison, arranged for Morrison to adopt her.

Poland claims the adoption was fraudulent and that she suffered emotionally and financially. She alleges Morrison raised her "in substandard conditions" and kept the truth from her.

Morrison denied involvement in any alleged scheme to mislead the birth parents.

As for substandard housing, she said she and her husband John had moved into a new show home, with new furniture, two months before Poland's birth.

And in 2005, Poland and one of Morrison's sons met the biological mother, at which time it became clear she had not been misled into thinking Poland had died at birth, Morrison said.

"The (birth) mother said the night nurse took Denice in to see her one night, after she was born."

Source: Calgary Herald