Who Are the Real Parents?

Are parents those who give birth to a child or those who care for a child? Does nature or


nurture make a woman a mother? As more and more heartbreaking tugs-of-war between


biological and adoptive parents surface, anyone searching for a baby has good reason for concern


(Casey 119).


Baby Jessica was raised from infancy by adoptive parents, Jan and Roberta DeBoer. For


two and a half years Jessica was at the heart of one of the most bitter custody battles in America,


caught between the parents in Michigan who reared her and the parents in Iowa who gave birth to


her and wanted her back (Ingrassia and Springen 60). Cara and Dan Schmidt took screaming


baby Jessica from her home in 1993 when they won their court battle to get her back (Casey 119).


Baby Jessica is just one of the many victims of child custody battles in America.


Jane and John Doe adopted a baby boy, Richard in March of 1991. Richard’s biological


mother, Daniela Kirchner, gave up her son while her boyfriend, Otakar, was out of the country


visiting his family. He had left Daniela just two weeks before Richard’s birth. Daniela had heard


rumors that Otakar had been cheating on her with another woman, in Czechoslovakia, so she


decided to lie to him about their baby, Richard. She told Otakar that Richard had died just four


days after his birth. In May of 1991 Otakar returned to Chicago and the couple reconciled.


Daniela told him about the adoption of their son and how she lied to him about his death. Eighty


days after Richard’s birth, Otakar challenged the adoption. He claimed that he had no knowledge


of his son until his return to the US and now he wanted his son back desperately (Ingrassia and


McCormick 44).


The Does met in seventh grade in a suburban Chicago school but didn’t start dating until


they were in their early twenties. Married...