I want to express my deepest gratitude to a few people who have worked very hard to keep a family together. In the next days I'll begin to post a synopsis of the interesting court proceedings that spanned two court systems and took several months....and perhaps also offer some advice that might help others in this situation. But tonight is the night to express my deepest thanks.
Lois Goodman, my Aunt Helen's attorney in Washington D.C., was the one who devised the solution that kept the family together. Lois worked very hard and stood her ground with several obstacles, and she believed in me and wanted the best for Aunt Helen. There simply are not words to express the gratitude to Lois for coming up with this solution and working so hard to make it happen. To keep a family together, and to ensure that someone in Aunt Helen's situation could have the happiest life possible despite circumstances, is the most beautiful thing imaginable. Lois touched several lives in a very important way.
My own attorney here in California, Judith Brown, also believed in me, and worked very hard to present my petition here in California in a way that would ensure that Aunt Helen was under the care of family. Several people have told me that Judith was the best attorney that I could have found, and I believe them. She put so much warmth, thought and care into the job. When the Temporary Conservator in D.C. threw obstacle after obstacle in our path, Judith reacted with calmness and common sense and worked with solutions that clarified and solved every problem. Judith has a very real sense of integrity and professionalism, with a lot of warmth thrown in for good measure.
Then the courts appointed Pauline Sloan to be my Aunt Helen's attorney here in California. Pauline quickly assessed the situation and threw her total support into what Lois and Judith were creating. Pauline also believed in my competence and intentions regarding Aunt Helen, and put the final pieces into place that ensured success in court. Pauline really impressed me with her warmth and conviction. It was Pauline who presented the case at the hearing here in California in such a way that the Judge ruled exactly as we hoped. The entire hearing really only lasted a few minutes.
I can't tell you how blessed I feel that Aunt Helen and myself had the amazing support of three wonderful attorneys. Lois, Judith and Pauline...you are all Goddesses.
Their hard work paid off. After all these months, the hearing in California was very brief. The Judge was wonderful. He even came out from behind the bench and sat us all in a circle so that Aunt Helen could hear better! He showed a lot of warmth and compassion and made his ruling quickly after Pauline presented the case to him. So now I'm Conservator of the Person for my Aunt Helen, and I manage her financial affairs through the authority of a Durable Power of Attorney. Our family is still together, and Aunt Helen's wishes will be met in ways that might not have been possible with Court appointed fiduciaries. (I'm not saying that this is a better solution all the time...the Courts have a beautiful system in place. It's just that this was the best solution for my Aunt Helen).
There are others to thank as well. Tony Casey is the Social Worker with Adult Protective Services who first began to communicate with us as to what was really happening with Aunt Helen. Tony is an incredibly kind and competent man, and he recognized that myself and my sister Kathy (more about her in a moment) truly cared about my Aunt Helen. So he kept us as informed as he could within the parameters of his job. Tony was the one who started the whole process of saving Aunt Helen....without him we'd have never known what was going on, and certainly never have been able to be involved. He visited Aunt Helen frequently, and assessed her situation better than anyone had before. His genuine affection and concern for Aunt Helen were obvious, and he has earned an esteemed place in our spiritual family.
Now for Kathy, my sister. Kathy and I were communicating with Tony through these past several months, as we began to slowly figure out what we could do. When we realized that the solution would probably be to move Aunt Helen from D.C., we discussed whether it was better for her in Houston where my sister lives, or in California where I live (just north of San Francisco). We decided that living near me was the best for Aunt Helen, and besides, I knew Aunt Helen better than anyone else in the family because I lived in D.C. for awhile.
Kathy has been my rock during all of this. She's helped me focus my thoughts and remain stable. She's been an incredible support and source of advice through all of this. Kathy is also going to help with the huge job of sorting through my Aunt's estate and getting her coop in shape to put on the market. I truly could not have done this without her. I'm the luckiest brother in the world!
I would also like to thank the Judge in D.C., Judge Franklin Burgess, for supporting me in caring for Aunt Helen. He quickly assessed the situation and quietly made this all possible over the past months, despite some aggressive objections and manipulations by other parties (more on that in future posts). I very much appreciate his support and the way he handled this case.
I would also like to thank two wonderful social workers, Phyllis Davis and Lisa Cho of A&P Counselling in Washington D.C. They were originally hired by Aunt Helen's Temporary Conservator to escort Aunt Helen to California, against the wishes of myself and Lois Goodman. They were hired to investigate myself and the facility where we were moving Aunt Helen, and we feel that the Temporary Conservator who hired them was hoping that they'd report unfavorably about me. But instead, they offered their full support. They are both delightful ladies, and they will probably continue to assist in the relocation of Aunt Helen and the sorting of her estate.
My deepest gratitude to all these people. The quality of the rest of Aunt Helen's life is directly related to the wonderful work these people have done.
D. Bruce Stevens
