I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE YOU

Here is a recorded song by Robin Thicke, entitled, "I don't know how it Feels To Be U." I have placed it here to underscore that although the song was generated as a romantic motif, it contains sentiments that accurately summarize Ayn’s daddy’s innermost feelings. No one has sought more carefully than Derek and Amie, to understand how Ayn looks at the world, processes life, events and people and ultimately feels in that sensitive part of her being. They have been committed to meeting the needs of this child that struggles with the manifestations of autism. They loved her without conditions.


Conditions however, were placed upon Ayn by the public environment in which she and her family find themselves. School and instructors and administrators are charged to care for her and other students. An aggressive autistic child is unquestionably a challenge. Within the range of her behaviours which include soft and quiet, happiness and contentment, frolic and laughter, energy, overexcitement, disorder, is unmanageability. A father like Derek could and did mitigate the boisterous spirit through speech and reason. This was a demonstration of a genuine desire to know how it feels to be Ayn.

What must it feel like today to be Ayn? She has been taken away from her daddy, and her two brothers and her mommy, and she has been placed with different people who diligently try to make their home be a home, feel like a home for Ayn. What must it be life for her now? She may have recall of the way that she was handled in the early hours, days and weeks of her apprehension and custody by the government ministry of children. That handling included examinations by medical professionals and the administration of mood and behaviour altering drugs. What was that like for Ayn? And each day, each week, each month passes for her without her biological family and it has now been ten months. What must she feel?

There are no acceptable administrative, moral, judicial, humanitarian, social reasons that adequately justify what the social workers and supervisors of the Ministry of Children are permitting to happen to Ayn. Nothing that is being done for her presently in the context of this custody can validate this process that has separated her from her family. If she is receiving treatment of any kind, that could be affected within her family. There has never been any suggestion that she was at risk, or was neglected or abused at home, and certainly there would be no evidence.

Some of the lyrics of this song say, “Though I try my best to understand what you're going through
I don't know how it feels to be you.”

It would seem to be time that those within the Ministry of Children who care to protect children and provide for them, do not simply place Ayn’s case on the shelf for the night once again, but rather enter seriously into a conscientious assessment of what this action and process is doing to a young girl already taxed with issues, issues which are remedial within the context of her loved ones.