A Celebration of Donnelly's 18th Birthday

Dear Jon,

First and foremost, I want to thank you sincerely for the love, care, and protection you’ve provided Donnelly over these years. I am grateful that he has been raised in a stable and nurturing environment, especially given the difficult circumstances that led to his adoption. Your dedication and kindness have made a difference in his life, and I truly appreciate that.

However, I must also share the deep pain and frustration I have carried for the past fourteen years. The circumstances surrounding Donnelly’s removal—particularly the involvement of CPS—are part of a larger, systemic problem that does not serve the best interests of children or families. The child welfare industry profits from families’ pain, treating children as commodities and making decisions based on funding and bureaucracy, not justice or love. Many professionals involved profit from a system that too often tears families apart, under the guise of “protecting” children, but too frequently causes more harm.

The day I was taken away in handcuffs—Donnelly's last words to me, “Mommy, me go with you?”—still haunt me. Donnelly had been subjected to foster care, where he was abused, and those allegations were denied and dismissed. That is why we took him from the CPS office visit and the foster care lady. We had evidence and witness testimony proving our parental fitness, yet we were completely railroaded by falsified evidence, false accusations, and a system that prioritized its own interests over truth and justice. We still had our parental rights when we did that so how they can say we "kidnapped" Donnelly is beyond me and they wanted to make us an example. The trauma of those events, and the ongoing injustice, has left a scar on my heart.

I believe that Donnelly, now approaching adulthood, deserves the truth—he deserves to know the love that has never wavered on my part. It would be a disservice to him to remain disconnected from his biological roots, especially when I am hopeful that, after all the pain, there can be healing. I am asking you to consider whether you can open your heart to the possibility of letting Donnelly reconnect with his family when he turns 18. He is still in high school until June 2026, but I believe that a small gesture—an opportunity to see him, to tell him how much he is loved—could be a step toward healing for all of us.

Please understand, this isn’t about blame or conflict. It’s about love, justice, and doing what is truly in Donnelly’s best interests. I trust that, in your compassion, you can see the bigger picture—that we tried protecting him from the systemic corruption and giving him the truth will ultimately serve his well-being far better than silence and separation.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my words. I remain hopeful that, someday, love and compassion will prevail, and his whole family will have the chance to reconnect with Donnelly to tell him how much he has always meant to us.

With heartfelt sincerity,  

Sharon

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