Page 16 - Florida Sentinel 12-21-18

National
City Contributes $6 Million To Trust Fund For 7-Year-Old Boy Who Was Ripped From Family And Vanished While In Foster Care
New York City officials agreed to shell out $6 million into a trust to settle a case after a Staten Island boy van- ished from a foster home after being denied an oppor- tunity to remain with rela- tives, the NY Post reports.
City Administration for Children’s Services workers and foster-care agency St. Vincent’s Services were re- portedly behind placing Patrick Alford, 7, and his sister in a foster home. The kids were taken from their aunt Blanca Toledo with- out a court order and were given to foster parents, the outlet reports.
According to court papers, the agency ignored Alford’s
PATRICK ALFORD
special needs which spiraled him into despair. They also argued that the process to re- move the children was rushed and was the catalyst that con-
tributed to Alford’s mental health issues.
Alford only spoke English, but was placed in Spanish speaking homes. He tried re- peatedly to escape his foster family and reportedly had vi- olent outbursts and suicidal thoughts, court papers said.
In Jan. 2010, while taking out the trash, Alford disap- peared without a trace.
“We have no information that would dissuade us from searching for him,” said Jonathan Lerner, a lawyer appointed pro bono to repre- sent Patrick’s legal inter- ests.
The funds from the city can serve to help continue the process to locate Alford.
6-Year-Old Missouri Girl Accidentally Killed By Brother While Parents At Christmas Party
A Missouri family is dealing with an unspeakable tragedy after their 6-year-old daugh- ter was accidentally shot and killed by an older brother last Friday while their parents were out at a Christmas party.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Maliyah Palmer died after being shot in the head by her 12-year-old brother. The boy found a 9mm handgun in a dresser drawer in his parents’ bed- room, then accidentally shot Maliyah in the head, accord- ing to police in Florissant, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.
Maliyah and her brother were being watched by their 16-year-old sister at the time of the shooting. The shooting
occurred around 11 p.m. on Friday night.
On Monday, Chief Tim- othy Lowery said an earlier press release announcing no charges was wrong. He said investigators will turn their findings over to prosecutors, who can decide what charges, if any, are filed.
Bank Pays Off Single Mom’s $150,000 Student Loan Debt
Jasmin Ford got her Christmas miracle this year when Fifth Third Bank de- cided to pay off $150,000 in student loan debt.
The Ohio-based bank gave Ford, a 30-year-old nurse and single mother, a little taste of Christmas magic.
“I still can’t find the words,” Ford told Good Morning America. “I’m off work again today and I’m just sort of pacing around and restless because I know my life is going to change.”
When Ford received her bachelor’s degree in 2011 she became the first in her family to graduate from college. A few years later, she went back to school to get her nursing degree and, with no financial help from family, took out loans just to cover her rent and food, and tuition. She finished her Master’s degree in 2015 but still had no idea how or if she’d ever be able to pay off the massive debt.
“I could not foresee when I’d be able to pay it off,” Ford said of her debt. “I just knew
JASMIN FORD
this was going to be a part of my life as long as I was alive unless there was some signif- icant change, which—wow.”
Ford was chosen to be a part of a documentary that Fifth Third Bank was shoot- ing on her student loan debt. On Wednesday she thought that the film crew was com- ing back to shoot some extra footage and had no idea that they were about to bless her. “The documentary in itself was a once-in-a-lifetime op- portunity,” she said. “I’m a
South Side of Chicago nurse and I have a kid. That, in it- self, is not that exciting, and I got to be in a documentary and I met some amazing peo- ple on the way.”
Mike Crawford, senior digital product manager at Fifth Third Bank, told GMA that Ford’s perse- verance and her willingness to give back to the commu- nity made her an obvious choice.
“Her story was just so compelling and she’s such a passionate person who’s fo- cused on changing the world and giving back, we just felt like we had to do this for her,” Crawford said. “She’s one of those people that we expect to be a ripple in the pond. If you make a difference for her, you make a difference for the community.”
Ford said now that she is student loan debt-free she can have even more time to spend with her son, Caleb, who will turn two in Febru- ary. She also plans to pay it forward.
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