Hi Muriel and others...your letter about your brother is a testament to why genealogy can be so very important, and why we need the census to continue to be released.....thank you Muriel! I will be mailing off some petition signatures to you and Gordon this week. Every bit counts... April in BC

Dear Membership: I have only been on this list for a very few weeks and have noted the enthusiasm through your text attempting to gain release of the Canadian 1911 census records, trying to penetrate the walls that the government has built preventing this from happening. It is tough to break down these walls and barriers. I have been involved in petition signing campaigns for over fifteen years, I know that's not long according to some people's careers, to get Ontario's adoption records opened. I realize we must have privacy for some things but for hereditary diseases it is criminal to keep this information from Canadian citizens. I feel empathy for the unadopted people who cannot look back over the past hundred or more years, using the census as a tool, to study and learn if there are any diseases they may have inherited or may be diagnosed in the future that they unknowingly have passed on to a future generation. For the adoptees it is much worse. Their records are sealed, their birth certificates are ""as if born to"" the couple that adopted them. The health history of the adoptive parents has no connection to the health concerns of the children/now adults that they adopted yesterday or years ago. My own experience is a testament of a genic disease, cirrhosis of the liver, that skipped my generation but was passed down to my biological grandson. I use the term 'biological' because this boy was the son of my 'biological' daughter, Joan, who I relinquished to adoption in 1955. This infant, Jordan, was born in 1982. He was a very ill child following his birth and when his doctor asked his mother if there were any diseases that may have been in the past history of the family, she was unable to be helpful. Her only reply was "I'm adopted and there is nothing on my non-identifying background information that indicates any kind of diseases in the family." "I have no way of finding out this information because the adoption records are closed." The physicians involved did not nor do they want to get involved in pressing the government to open records the adoption records to be able to get information to treat people such as little Jordan. I was reunited with Joan in May 1985 and one of the first questions Joan asked me was "what did your father die from?" I said "cirrhosis of the liver." She told me Jordan was eventually diagnosed with this as well. This child never saw his 7th birthday. This family could have had genetic counselling if this information had been known. Joan took a blood test and the results noted that her liver is partial deficient, one daughter is efficient and the other is partial deficient. My test indicated I am partial deficient. I am a carrier. To end this story I would like to express to readers that if you are adopted or know of anyone who is adopted and have concerns about genetic diseases being passed down from generation to generation you have another place to lobby. Go to this website http://www.marilynchurley.com/the_issues/adoption/adoption_disclosure/ and learn what MPP Marilyn Churley NDP has been working tirelessly to accomplish. Fay Rath birth mother and adoptive parent of 4 adult adoptees all reunited with at least one member of the birth family Volunteer/Search Assistant Adoption Roots & Rights Dorchester, ON (3 km east of London) http://www.geocities.com/adoption_reunion2001/lfp_obit_index.html www.geocities.com/adoption_reunion2001 website updated daily ----- Original Message ----- From: "April Bell" <abellraven@telus.net> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 12:18 AM Subject: [CCC] petitions etc. > Hi Muriel and others...your letter about your brother is a testament to why > genealogy can be so very important, and why we need the census to continue > to be released.....thank you Muriel! I will be mailing off some petition > signatures to you and Gordon this week. Every bit counts... > April in BC > > > > ==== CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN Mailing List ==== > How to unsubscribe from Mail Mode. Send a message to > CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L-request@rootsweb.com that contains > (in the Subject line and body of the message) the command > -- unsubscribe -- and no additional text. >