WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE STUPID STUFF GOING ON IN THE WORLD
I am constantly amazed at how people in this world will do crazy things to get children who are babies, YET leave older kids who are in need in the Foster care system without providing any help to them. I am also amazed at how little a father is really worth in society these days. I am also deeply troubled and amazed at the lack of common sense some people display. Before I start this sorted story, I just want to say that I believe that the adoptive parents, Jared and Kristi Frei, are likely good people. They are, however, doing the wrong thing by not giving Terry Achane’s daughter back to him after his wife gave her up for adoption without his knowledge!
In 2010, Tira Bland Achane was a married woman living in Texas. She and her husband, Terry Achane, started having problems in their marriage shortly before she discovered she was pregnant. Tira was beside herself. She and her husband were having problems, she was pregnant and her husband, who is in the military, was transferred to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Tira weighed her options. She talked to her husband and suggested they have an abortion or put the child up for adoption. Terry didn’t want either of those choices to be the reality for his child. He talked with Tira and expressed the fact that he wanted the child they would have together. However, 10 days after his transfer, what he wanted wouldn’t matter. Tira, his wife went into premature labor. Instead of happily calling her husband to tell him he had a new child, she called an adoption agency in Utah. Although she is not a Utah resident, she signed the baby over to Utah residents Jared and Kristi Frei WITHOUT telling her husband. Then she terminated all contact with her husband. That set Terry Bland on a courtroom odyssey to get his daughter back and set him up against Utah’s adoption laws that make a father an afterthought.
Tira Bland was very deceitful. Not only did she deceive her husband and cut off contact with him so he would not know her whereabouts, she also did something to ensure that he would not be notified of where his daughter was. She gave the adoption agency a false address for her husband. She knew the documents sent by the adoption agency would never reach him. Tira also knew that her husband would put up a fight for his child. Now here is where things get REALLY sticky! The adoption agency, according to published reports, KNEW that Terry Achane didn’t know about his daughter’s adoption AND they told Jared and Kristi Frei this! WOW! WHAT? How do you KNOWINGLY take a child whose father does NOT KNOW she has been placed for adoption?
When Terry found out about the adoption the fight was on. Terry went to court to get his little girl back. He won. Jared and Kristi Frei were ordered to give the child to her father within 60 days. They refused. What resulted was a two year battle that recently culminated with a judgement against the Frei family. They are supposed to return the child to her father, but they have vowed to continue the fight instead of letting this man reunite with his child! That is despicable!
In addition to that, they have posted a website where they have attacked the father for not reaching out to them to ask for pictures and for not sending toys or other items to the little girl. When I read that I almost gagged! Why would a man send anything to two people he has watched hold on to his child as if she were their child when they KNOW he wants her back and DID NOT KNOW she was placed up for adoption? Why would he send them anything? He is trying to get her HOME! The Frei family has HIS child - he doesn’t have their child! If I were fighting for my child with another family who refused to give her up AND refused to follow a judge’s order, I wouldn’t try to reach out to them either. After I determined that they were not going to give my child back, my sole focus would be fighting them. How DARE Jared Frei and Kristi Frei ATTACK A MAN FOR WANTING HIS CHILD BACK! I honestly think that Tira should be arrested, but those are my personal feelings and there are no laws to support that. However, the fact remains that this man wants and deserves to have HIS child! He didn’t know what his wife was doing! He was a married man going through problems. That happens. However, you don’t give up a child because you and your husband are having problems! If the husband wants the child, give the child to him! Why would you give the child to two people YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW when you had a husband who was willing to take the child? There were no allegations of abuse. There was just a marriage in trouble!
This reminds me of the other case I have written about. In the case of Chandra and Tom Zarembeski, the mother also gave the child up for adoption without the father’s consent. The key difference is that the father was not married to the mother at the time. Utah treats unmarried fathers like absolute crap and does NOT recognize their rights! That case is still going on to my knowledge - although the father still has been unable to see his daughter! What are those people going to tell her when she gets old enough to read everything on the web? I hope she sees that her daddy loves her. I also hope she reconnects with him and allows him into her life once she is old enough to make the choice.
I wish people would be more responsible. I shudder to think what could have happened to this little girl at the hands of a mother who didn’t want her if she and her husband had split up when the girl was 5 or 8 or 11! She might have abused her. Thankfully, although they are doing the wrong thing by holding on to her, Jared and Kristi Frei appear to have taken good care of the child while she has been in their care. However, she belongs with her father. How are they going to explain to this little girl when she gets older that her father fought for her and they refused to give her to her own dad? I’m sure they could attack him like they did on their website, but I personally would not be able to stomach that from my parents.
Hopefully, Jared Frei and Kristi Frei will not break the law and will give this little girl back to her father. I wish we could take THEIR biological children away and see how THEY feel about it so they could fully understand what Terry Achane is going through. He has only been able to see his daughter twice. What a shame! Jared Frei and Kristi Frei AND Tira Bland should ALL be ashamed of themselves!
Here is the website where Jared Frei and Kristi Frei attacked the father for trying to get his daughter back -http://frei-adoption.com/Frei/Leah.html
Here is the story on Yahoo -
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/mom-puts-baby-adoption-without-telling-dad-182916205.html
Here is the story on the Daily Mail-
Here is a link to the story of Chandra Zarembeski and Thomas Zarembeski who have refused to give a child back to her father after the child was placed for adoption without his knowledge or consent -
Sara
December 4th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
I can’t believe that this woman would give her child away when her husband wanted the baby.
Andrea
December 5th, 2012 at 8:32 am
I a, trying to reach out to this father to help him. I’ve also just emailed the Frei’s expressing my outrage! I’m a family lawyer in Tx and a married father is a RECOGNIZED LEGAL PARENT WITH CONSTITUTIONALY PROTECTED RIGHTS!!
Mandee
December 5th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Jared and Kristi Frei are horrible and selfish people; shame on them! I think they’re delusional if they truly believe they have any rights to that darling little girl.
Andrea~I hope you are able to contact the father and help him.
Shawna
December 5th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Ugh. This story makes me sick. As an adoptive parent myself, I understand how fast parents bond to their adopted babies. It is immediate, and in all ways, that little girl FEELS like their own daughter.
At the same time, as a biological parent, I can understand the complete horror the bio-dad must feel in having his daughter placed for adoption without his consent!
Its just horrible all the way around, and makes me think, what in the world was that adoption agency doing?
I’m so sorry for all the parents involved…so much pain and loss.
However, I do believe, even if the judge changed his ruling, it would be VERY hard for those adoptive parents to raise a daughter against her birth-dad’s will. That will not turn out good in the long run for their daughter, and they just simply must allow her to go to her father.
Ms. Very Stupid
December 5th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
I believe the birth mother should face charges! It is one thing to be involved in a situation where you do not know who the father is. This woman simply decided she didn’t want a kid AND she didn’t want her EX to get the kid! If she didn’t want to raise the child, she could have given her directly to her father, got a divorce and went on with her life. Instead, she lied to her husband! The OTHER issue is that the adoption agency KNEW that the father didn’t know AND INFORMED the Frei family that the father DID NOT KNOW about the adoption! How can the Frei family justify what they are doing?
Kristie
December 5th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
While I am one who has struggled to accept that I will never have a biological child, and adoption is not an option either, I feel strongly that the childs biological father should raise his daughter. I understand that the “adoptive” family has bonded with the child but a wrong has been done and, rather than drag it out any longer, the child needs to be given back to the father (the sooner, the better) to begin the new bonding process. The adoptive family should act in the best interest of the child. At this point, they have their own best interests at heart. It may be so so painful, but it has to be done.
Kaysi
December 5th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
How do i message the freis? Id like to send this to them but dont know how! who on earth would donate to them! it is so messed up what they are doing!! to the freis!: Please give that father Back his child. Put yourself in his shoes! Imagine being able to finally get pregnant and then hypothetically you are in a coma & while you are youre husband gives your baby away for adoption!! Then you wake up from coma & are powerless to get your child back! How would you feel! How could you be so heartless especially when you have 5 other kids! Adopt another baby & get over it, you have no right & I can’t believe anyone would actually do what you have done its baffling. You knew you were stealing that child & you did it anyway and I don’t think a father should lose his child bc he was WORKING to provide for his family! You know darn well he was stationed away & are acting like he’s at fault for not being there! He was not able to be!! He’d of been AWOL! He’s Risking his own life to protect even you & your family & this is the thanks he gets! Give him his baby back. You should have been gracious & done so on your own WITHOUT the court, you may have even been able to strike a deal like be the god parents or something. I saw your comment you wanted a sibling for the other adoptive baby? Seriously you sound so racist like that, it’s crazy. I too can not have children bc or endometriosis so I know the pain, atleast you were blessed with some tho, I have none & never will. Could you imagine someone taking away one of your own children? Bc that is what you are doing to this man you are causing him the same pain you yourself would feel. Please do the right thing bc many fathers wouldn’t care & you want to take from one who does! There are plenty of babies needing adoption please find one who you don’t need to steal from a loving parent!
I’d really like to send this message to them! I’m appalled that they’re asking for. $$ too! What a bunch of lowlife s! I’m with you their children should be taken away and see how they feel. Also in agreeance that when she is older if still with them how she is going to hate and resent them. Usually adoptive kids wanna know why they weren’t wanted & when she sees how bad her father fought for her she is going to absolutely hate these people. I wish they’d come to their senses & do the right thing for everyone involved & adopt a child that is actually in need bc they are so many to choose from
Michele Douglas
December 5th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Like all of you, I can not believe that the Freis family would do this. I truely believe they only want this child to make a “new colored pair” to the last son they adopted. If you have a soul, you will give this poor father his child back. You have ready have FIVE…yes five other children and you knew from the start it was so wrong. You are only hurting this father and HIS little girl….not YOURS. I just could not believe the courts have let his go on so long already!!!! I wish I could email them and tell them how bad they are. I also wish i could send money to him for his legal fees. Prayers to this father and his little girl!
Anon
December 5th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Here’s their blog: http://frei-adoption.com/Frei/Leah.html (I think they need to receive emails about how stealing and kidnapping is wrong.) They are refusing to give the baby back, although the judge has ordered them to do so. They have 60 days and I think that’s too long. “They” feel they’re better for this child than the child’s black daddy. Out of control.
Foma
December 7th, 2012 at 12:18 am
It’s too bad the media wasn’t following this when no one could get the father to respond or take an interest in his child. I don’t doubt he wants the child back and has his parental rights–I’m not disputing that. But it’s too easy to villify the Freis and just write about “how bad they are”.
Check out this link for another side of the story:
http://www.770kkob.com/abc_news/article/Utah_Custody_Battle:_Adopted_Baby’s_Mom_Wants_Tot_in_Good_Home/2F3EA1B83FC211E2919EFEFDADE6840A/
Foma
December 7th, 2012 at 12:19 am
Here is the URL again–sorry that first one didn’t work out:
http://tinyurl.com/agn5lpp
Ann
December 7th, 2012 at 5:56 am
This article and following comments are loaded with hypocrisy and serious hate. Why send hate mail to people you don’t even know? I have personally known the Frei family for 15 years and if any people are good and decent, they would be at the top of the list, despite what people who’ve read short news articles and blog posts may think. They obviously love Leah and naturally want to be with her. Being a mom to a toddler, I would fight just as hard for a child that I loved. When I first read on their blog about their story, I admit that while I deeply care about the family, I also felt sympathy for the father and wasn’t so sure what side of the argument I was on. I can see it going both ways, which is why I’m sure it took the judge several weeks to come to a decision. They didn’t steal - they were given the baby by her mother. Can you really picture a couple thinking that they will just hurry and take the baby while the father wasn’t looking? It sounds to me from credible sources close to the family, not biased news outlets, that they had reason to believe the father did not want the child. They aren’t racist, either. The commenters and news reporters have made them out to be racist when there is zero basis for it.
Ms. Very Stupid
December 7th, 2012 at 10:58 am
@Ann, there is NO hypocrisy in the article. Hypocrisy is when you say one thing and do another. Where do you see that? Read the very first paragraph of my article - “…I just want to say that I believe that the adoptive parents, Jared and Kristi Frei, are likely good people. They are, however, doing the wrong thing by not giving Terry Achane’s daughter back to him after his wife gave her up for adoption without his knowledge!”
I immediately characterized the Frei family as good people. HOWEVER, THEY ARE DOING THE WRONG THING!
They Frei family, according to all published reports, KNEW that the father was unaware of the adoption! They KNEW this when they took the child! Although I can understand wanting to provide a safe home for her, once they were made aware that the father wanted the little girl it was their responsibility as good people to GIVE THAT LITTLE GIRL BACK TO HER DAD! He didn’t ask for this situation to happen to him! The mother of his child did a horrible thing. The Frei family is exacerbating that by not doing the right thing! Period! What if it were YOUR child! What if YOUR husband gave YOUR child up and you couldn’t find him or the child? What if the family who took your child refused to give her back? How would you feel? The Frei family is wrong, wrong, wrong in keeping the little girl - even though they may be good people!
Ms. Very Stupid
December 7th, 2012 at 11:08 am
@Foma, I NEVER said the Freis were bad! I SAID they were doing the wrong thing - and they ARE!
NOW, let me explain something about Terry Achane. The father DID show an interest in his child! HE didn’t know where the child was! He had been trying to find Tira Bland AND the child - once he knew she didn’t have an abortion! He contacted her friends and family, he contacted her family doctor and, once he found out where Tira had put the child up for adoption, he also contacted the adoption agency! The adoption agency refused to give him any information! He had to hire AN ATTORNEY to find out more information AND get his child back. How would YOU treat people who found out you didn’t know your child was put up for adoption, YET wouldn’t give her back? CERTAINLY, you would not think that they were your friends! The Frei family refused to give his daughter back. However, HIRING AN ATTORNEY IS SHOWING INTEREST! PERIOD! He doesn’t have to send toys to show interest. He wasn’t trying to GET HIS DAUGHTER! WHO ARE YOU to say that hiring an attorney to FIGHT for his daughter isn’t enough? It is BEYOND enough AND it is the only thing that is going to reunite him with his child because the FREI FAMILY IS UNWILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING! THOSE ARE THE FACTS my dear! The Frei family, as I stated in this article, might be good people but they are doing the WRONG thing!
Ms. Very Stupid
December 7th, 2012 at 11:11 am
@Foma, as a side note, I would NEVER trust what Tira Bland has to say! She deliberately tried to strip a man of his child. If she didn’t want the child, why didn’t she give the baby to him when he CLEARLY expressed that he wanted the child? SHE could have gone on with her life! The reason is simple. She was trying to punish him! It wasn’t about the child. She wanted to get rid of the baby and pretend it didn’t exist! She didn’t care that he wanted the child or that he wanted to be a father to his little girl. She simply didn’t care!
Mrs O
December 19th, 2012 at 5:14 am
This is ridiculous!!!
Same thing happened to my uncle many years ago! His on/off gf had 2 kids for him, and was going to put them up for adoption without his knowledge. One was a newborn and the other was barely a year old! He got word of it, and ran to court and fought for custody. He won and raised them up on his own! She walked away and never really cared to look back.
The adoptive parents are SELFISH!! All they care about are themselves! To drag this out in court for so long, just because they are trying to buy time is SELFISH! They have their own biological children! ABSOLUTELY ridiculous!! Give the man back his child, and that Tira Bland should be sued for kidnapping along with the agency and the Fries!!!!
Armywife
January 9th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
Being a military spouse sometimes we go for long periods of time unable to speak to or even email our spouse. That is just a fact of military life. Look into this girls history she has pulled some pretty selfish and hateful acts, even regarding her oldest daughter and the father. This is not a stable girl, in fact she is a spoiled immature girl. She threw a temper tantrum because he didn’t give her All his attention and ALL the pay check, though she got most of it and still managed to lose a vehicle and get their cell phones turned off. Why? Because shopping for herself was so much more important. Yet he still managed to get her a used vehicle through family members, so no she was not left with nothing. Im sure he made mistakes in this whole mess before baby came, but punishment for a bad marriage isnt losing your daughter. What she has done to this baby girl, her daddy, and yes the Freis is unforgivable. Now the Freis are doing the same low moral thing to this man. They do say in their blog how they wanted a close similar sibling for their adopted son. In blunt words a black sibling. Family is colorblind, I can’t help but feel these children are collectables to the Freis. They may be nice people, but they are wrong and immoral people. They talk about God and being good yet what they are doing is so obviously sinfully wrong. If they were so moral they wouldn’t have gone through with the adoption in the first place without making sure the father knew. A Selfish act! And using an old address isn’t trying. If they took one second and thought about what is best for baby Taleah then she would be with her father. My husband was a DI and while in school I didn’t hear from him except maybe 5 times in the four and half months he was training and barely saw him while he was a DI. It is demanding training and a job that leaves no time in the day. So to those that have criticized him for not being more attentive or calling enough try to remember the job he does isn’t a selfish one. What would him sending toys and cards that she can not read prove? That is a pretty lame excuse to try and justify not giving back a baby that belongs with her father. I do hope and pray that the Freis attempt at a stay against the judgment to return Taleah is denied and she is rightfully returned to her father, a father that also extended an invitation to allow them to be a part of her life.
Ms. Very Stupid
January 13th, 2013 at 11:18 pm
@Armywife I completely agree with you.
Outrageous
January 28th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
That is bull that he left her without a home, car, etc. If he had, all she had to do was call his commanding officer. There is no excuse for what the wife did.
Ms. Very Stupid
February 2nd, 2013 at 11:05 am
@Outrageous he did NOT leave her without a home, car or money! He had ALL of the bills set up to come out of their bank account! That bank account was where his military check was direct-deposited! She had access to the account, just like he did! SHE is LYING when she says she had no money and didn’t know how to reach him. He wasn’t leaving to stay away from her - he told her he was going to get things straight on his new base so SHE AND his step-daughter could come with him! She didn’t want to move!