Baby Jessica, Ten Years later
stargazer
BLAIRSTOWN, Iowa (AP) - It's been a decade since the emotional custody fight
between the birth parents of a girl dubbed ``Baby Jessica'' and a couple who
wanted to adopt her.
Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the day Anna Schmidt, now 12,
returned to her birth parents, Dan and Cara Schmidt.
Anna doesn't remember anything of the tumultuous first two years of her
life, when she was called Jessica by Jan and Roberta DeBoer, of Ann Arbor,
Mich., who were trying to finalize her adoption.
Anna was born in February 1991 in Cedar Rapids and was put up for adoption
by her mother, Cara, a decision Cara quickly regretted. From the third week
after the birth, Cara and Anna's father, Dan Schmidt, not then married,
fought to get the baby back.
The Iowa and Michigan supreme courts and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for
the Schmidts' right to regain their child.
Anna says she is well aware of what happened and has even seen the
made-for-TV movie of her family's story, which she said she laughs at when
she finds inaccuracies.
As Anna said she doesn't have plans to meet the DeBoers, her dad
interrupted, saying, ``No, we don't communicate with them. That's how we all
prefer it.''
The Schmidts divorced in 2000, and share custody of the girls. Dan Schmidt,
51, hasn't worked since being injured in a 1998 construction accident.
Anna, her sister Chloe, 10, and her dad live in an apartment in the
Blairstown, a town of 700.
Anna who is entering the seventh grade and secured a spot on the
cheerleading squad, said she'd like to be a photographer someday and live in
New York City.
As the 10th anniversary of the end of the custody fight approached, Schmidt
said he has received inquiries from national television news shows about
taking Anna and Chloe to New York City to appear on air.
He has declined, saying the girls' mother, who tried to keep the family from
much of the media attention, would frown on such a trip.
Hester888Mofet
>
>The Schmidts divorced in 2000, and share custody of the girls. Dan Schmidt,
>51, hasn't worked since being injured in a 1998 construction accident.
>
>
>Anna, her sister Chloe, 10, and her dad live in an apartment in the
>Blairstown, a town of 700.
Does anyone know if the DeBoers are still together or if they are divorced? I
find it rather ironic that both the Schmidts and the couple who fought to get
Baby Richard back in Illinois are no longer together.
Hester Mofet
stargazer
"Hester888Mofet" <hester8...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030802080616...@mb-m29.aol.com...
I believe I heard the DeBoers are also divorced. But IIRC, the Schmidts
split up shortly after baby Jessica arrived. I want to say the only reason
they married in the first place was to get the child. I remember at the
time, wondering what this child will be like ten years down the road, so
that's why I posted this here. Thought maybe others would be wondering the
same thing.
sg
>
>
Jane Cactus JC
Thx for posting this. I thought the DeBoers adopted another child at
some point? Hadn't heard they'd gotten divorced. I could be confusing
them with some other case. Is this the one where cameras actually shot
footage as she was bawling her head off as she was handed over? I've
always been interested in how she'd do down the road too. It seemed so
wrong at the time to make her change parents at that time. I hope she
chooses to tell us more of her life when she's an adult. I hope she
really is happy and has a good life.
JC
stargazer
"Jane Cactus JC" <jonesi...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8e44e613.03080...@posting.google.com...
I think the DeBoers adopted a baby boy afterwards, and yes, this is the one
where they dragged that child out screaming and crying. Tore my guts out at
the time. I couldn't imagine someone coming and taking one of my children
and how they'd cope never seeing me or dh again. IIRC, I heard somewhere
that the DeBoers adopted that baby boy, but things were never the same after
losing Jessie. I think it was harder on the husband, and they did divorce
after awhile.
sg