Hello Mickey, This is wonderful news! I know that this has been a source of tremendous heartache and stress for you and your family. I’m very glad that this is over for you and for Cole. Best and 73, Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC (603) 413-5400 Mail: ab1oc@arrl.org<mailto:ab1oc@arrl.org> ARRL New England Division Director [Text, logo Description automatically generated] From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> on behalf of "Baker, Mickey, N4MB (Dir, SE)" <mbaker@arrl.org> Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 11:42 AM To: "arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org" <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:35528] Personal - New Family Member I know this is personal, but I’ve spoken to many of you about this, and you’re probably wondering if I was delusional. I worried that myself… My grandson, Cole, has been living with Judith and me since he came home from the hospital in 2015 after being airlifted and spending two months in the NICU, (neonatal intensive care unit) at Miami Children’s Hospital. We’ve been involved in legal situations to protect him from a drug addicted felonious father since then. Almost two years ago, Judith and I filed a lawsuit to adopt Cole. In the past year, this has taken a lot of time as I prepared over 3,000 pages of evidence for trial. We had a two day hearing almost a month ago and heard nothing. Went through the holidays with faith but no answers. Until yesterday. We have been awarded our adoption petition and we are now the parents of Cole. Now for the paperwork to change his birth certificate and get certified copies of everything before it gets sealed “forever.” So Cole is learning to edit his Gopro videos this morning, informed but somewhat ambivalent about the entire thing. He hasn’t seen his father since 2021. Thanks for your support during the past year, which has been trying – but here’s to starting a new year! -- Mickey Baker, N4MB Director, Southeastern Division ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio® Phone (561) 320-2775 Email: n4mb@arrl.org<mailto:n4mb@arrl.org> ARRL Customer Service: (860) 594-0355
