Guardians of two kids handed to gay couple for adoption tell of their anguish

GRANDPARENTS of two children handed to a gay couple for adoption have told of the nightmare moment the youngsters were removed by social workers.

The five-year-old boy and his sister, four, who we are calling Josh and Chloe to protect their identity, had been lovingly cared for by their grandparents while their mum struggled with heroin addiction.

In an exclusive interview with The People the 59-year-old grandad – told by social workers that he and his 46-year-old wife were too old and unfit to care for the kids – said: «It was the worst day of my life when they came to take them away.»

His voice cracking with emotion, the tall well-built farm worker went on: «Chloe was still little and although we were saying goodbye and reassuring her we’d see her soon, I don’t think she fully understood we wouldn’t be putting her to bed that night and we wouldn’t be there when she woke up. But Josh knew and he was howling. He was holding on to me and saying ‘Please, Grandad, don’t send me away. I want to stay with you and Grandma’.

«I was doing my best to reassure him that it was only for a while, and the social workers tried to get him into the car.

«He was hanging on to the sides for dear life and wouldn’t get in. Eventually, I had to do it as they couldn’t manage.

«When I shut the door, his wee hands came up to the window, pressing against it, pleading with me.

«I had to turn away so he wouldn’t see the tears streaming down my face. It broke my heart.» The couple say social workers told them their access to the children would be restricted if they opposed the gay adoption. And last week the caring pair were told they would NEVER see their grandchildren again because they had dared to make public the fact that they had been taken from them and were to be adopted by two gay men. Now the kids are with a foster mum while they are gradually introduced to the homosexual pair.

The grandparents wiped away tears as they sat in their farm cottage on the outskirts of Edinburgh recalling happier times with the children.

The grandmother, dressed in dark denims and a pale blue top, said: «We always had great Christmases with the children, and they always had a birthday party with all the family and their godparents here. We had some great days out as well.» The pretty grandma, a mum of seven who looks much younger than her years, leafed through photo albums, providing memories of those happy times.

Pictures of trips to the zoo, beach, a sea-life centre, and summer days in the garden with a paddling pool, are proof that this was a happy home.

But social workers got involved after the children’s mum failed to bring them home from a visit and police were called in.

The children were put in foster care – an arrangement the grandparents thought was temporary.

She said: «Even after they went into foster care, we had special times with them. Christmas 2007 was great.

«We didn’t have them on Christmas Day, which they spent with their foster mother, but they came to us on Boxing Day.

«Josh looked at the pile of presents from us and their aunts and uncles and said ‘We’re so lucky. Santa came to us yesterday, but he’s come again to Granny’s house for us today’.

«He was thrilled with his presents. He’d asked for Bob The Builder and a bike. He was four then and had never been on a bike, and we couldn’t get him off it.

«Chloe got a pink tricycle, and she was delighted. They had so much fun, and luckily we captured it all on the camcorder.»

Asked about favourite memories of Josh and Chloe, she remembers a trip to Edinburgh Zoo that included their younger aunts and uncles.

Pleasure

«They were thrilled to have so many of us along. They loved the animals and they were so happy to have a meal out at the cafe in the zoo.

«We got them animals from the gift shop. Chloe chose a cuddly penguin, as the penguins had been her favourite, but Josh chose some wobbly snakes to torment his grandad with as he knew he was terrified of them. It was such a simple day, but it gave us all so much pleasure.»

Laughing suddenly, she added: «Josh is such a scamp. He’s got that twinkle in his eye, full of mischief, but full of warmth and love. I remember going outside one day and seeing my husband’s legs sticking out from under the car as he was trying to fix something underneath it. A few minutes later, I looked out again and saw two pairs of legs sticking out. Josh had hauled a blanket outside and got under the car beside his grandad to help.

«On one of our last trips out, we asked them to choose a present. Josh wanted a toy lawnmower and Chloe asked for a bubblemaking machine.

«Typically, Josh realised there was more potential for fun with Chloe’s choice and he soon had it from her, stuffed it up his jumper and shouted ‘Watch this!’ The bubbles were squeezing out of his collar and cuffs and he was laughing.»

The grandfather added: «They’ve given us so many laughs, but I think the best one I ever had was when Josh’s uncle, our second youngest son, came in from work one day and made himself a plate of potato fritters. Josh sidled up and asked
‘What are they? And can I try one?’ His uncle pushed one to him and said through a mouthful ‘They’re fritters’. Josh took the fritter slowly, looked at it from every angle before taking a bite.

«He was still crunching away when he turned his charm on, smiling at his uncle and pulling a few more to his side of the plate.

«He took another one, bit it and said ‘Mmmm, I love these sh*tters’. It was a totally innocent mistake and we all just cracked up.»

The memory makes him laugh again, but the tears are never far away.

The couple thought the fostering was temporary but the local council went to court four times to have the children permanently removed and adopted.

Each time the court ruled in favour of the grandparents.

But when the council threatened to hire expensive senior barristers the couple reluctantly caved in because of the expense of fighting them and because they feared the constant round of court hearings would stop the kids getting a settled home.

Then, less than two weeks ago they learned in a phone call the kids were to be adopted by a gay couple.

Their heartbroken grandmother said: «If we had known how it would turn out, that social workers would choose a home without a mother for them and we’d have to like it or not see them again, we’d never have given up the fight.

«The thing is they were so happy here. They knew they were loved and they were safe.

«They had all this countryside to play in. They loved going on the farm with their grandad. They’d see deer and badgers and all sorts out there.

«Then at night they loved having cuddle time with us while we had a hot drink and a biscuit and watched a film together, something like Toy Story, after their baths and before they went to bed.

«They loved being at the centre of a large family. We all loved having them here, and we’d do anything to have them back.»

features@people.co.uk

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