The Sad Story Of Baby AyBe
Dateline: 09/05/2000Abandoning the boy was a deed done quickly. A woman entered a Calgary Safeway store on August 8, wearing a toque,dark sunglasses and a rain jacket. After glancing upwards at the securitycameras, she pushed a grocery cart with the boy into the cookie aisle.Then she left, alone. It was not long before a customer noticed the boy and alerted storestaff. With the boy was a clear plastic backpack, containing a desperate-soundingnote. In scrawled handwriting, the note said the boy's name is Abraham,he is a dwarf and his father is dead. The Mother's LetterTo Whoever finds my son, give this to the authorities. To whom it may concern: This is my son, Abraham, AyBe for short. He had his 4th birthday Aug.1st, but we never registered him cause we didn't think he'd live. In myfamily all the men have bad T-cells and cannot have shots and cannot beexposed to chicken pox (need serum in 24 hours). It seems Abraham is thesame. He's not had any live vaccines and of course he's a dwarf. (Causethe T-cells can't handle it, he gets sick).
I love my son so much and will love and miss him till I pass away,but I just can't take care of him any more. Please find him a good home.I wish there were a better way to do this, but there isn't. His Dad diedlong ago and AyBe doesn't remember him. He was christened.
We just started potty training. He wants a Dad very badly. There isso much to say, and yet so little. I wish we had any family at all, buteveryone died. -- AyBe's Moma Investigating the mystery of why the mother abandoned AyBe and where shecould be found was made more difficult by the fact that most of the notewas false.Amid public concern over how prosperous Alberta could have let downthe family, authorities appealed for the mother to come forward, promisingno criminal punishment for the boy's abandonment. The local appeal wasin vain. Alberta's social services had not failed the family. AyBe, itwould be discovered, was not even a resident of Canada. After a frustrating two weeks searching Alberta and questioning dwarfspecialists across the continent without luck, the province took the unusualstep of releasing photos and video footage of AyBe. Children & Family Services Minister Iris Evans decided the unusualnature of the case merited bending the rules of confidentiality. Doctorswere concerned that there may be hidden complications to AyBe's medicalcondition, especially after he was admitted to hospital following a seizure.Evans ruled that casting a wide as net as possible to gather informationwas in AyBe's best interests. AyBe was revealed to be a telegenic blond-haired boy. A rare geneticdisorder caused his dwarfism. His height and weight (Four feet, thirtypounds) were closer to that of a young toddler than a four year old. Releasing the pictures was a key moment. Sympathetic news coverage wasbroadcast across the country, resulting in three important tips. An airlinesteward in Toronto recalled seeing the boy on a transatlantic flight toEurope. A Victoria woman recognized the woman as a fellow patron of a Vietnameserestaurant. A man from Spokane, Washington emailed the CBC afterseeing AyBe's story broadcast on The National. The American said he knew AyBe's family when they lived in Spokane.He gave what he said was the boy's real name. Police then checked records of transatlantic flights originating in Victoria for that name.The identification of AyBe's mother as Port Angeles, Was. resident SusanneE. McCarty deepened the already unusual mystery. Much of what was believed about AyBe from his mother's letter for helpturned out to be falsehoods.
His name was Avery McCarty, not Abraham or AyBe;
Far from being unregistered, he was known to Washington State authorities;
Avery was adopted by McCarty and could not have inherited her family's"bad T-cells" (although his condition does affect his immune system);
His biological father and mother are both still alive;
Rather than a family that had all died off, Avery had a stepsister,McCarty's 11-year-old daughter Mackenzie. The truth was different than the picture most people imagined. Avery'smother was not a down-and-out, poorly-educated Albertan overwhelmed bymedical bills in a province more interested in tax cuts than social services.Rather, McCarty was a registered nurse receiving $1,000 (US) a monthfrom Washington social services to care for Avery and his special needs. Her medical background was one reason she was approved to adopt Avery whenhe was two years old. Avery's abandonment in Canada began to seem less like an American mothertrying to ensure better medical care for her child, and more like someonetrying to avoid detection. After being identified, McCarty contacted authorities in Victoria. She told them, and eventually the public, that she abandoned Avery outof a deep depression that left her nowhere else to turn. After Avery's American citizenship was discovered, it was only a matterof time before he was returned home into the care of Washington State childwelfare authorities. Even though he is back in his home country, Avery's sad story continues.He is again in foster care while the unusual case goes to court to determinewho should get custody. McCarty would have to prove she could care forhim if she is to be again considered for custody. Whether she wants himback is not public information. Meanwhile, Avery's biological mother PepperEldred is seeking legal help to regain custody. The state took Avery fromher when he was two years old because the homeless, illiterate 22-year-oldlacked the necessary parenting skills. Avery's biological father, Eldred'sfirst cousin, is said to be uninterested in Avery's fate. Related Links: "AlbertaAdvantage Didn't Work For AyBe"
Calgary Herald columnist Catherine Ford says the reaction toAvery's abandonment was predictable but overshadows the other childrenwho are "somebody else's problem." "Avery'sMom Put Her Hope In Alberta's Health System"
Calgary Herald columnist concludes the American who abandonedAvery has more faith in Canada's health care system than most Canadiansdo. "AbandonedTo Fate"
A letter to the Calgary Herald rejects the notion that the motherabandoned Avery "in a safe place." "Avery'sMom Gives Up Care Of Daughter"
Avery's medical bills were covered by Washington State, says this CalgaryHerald article. "SadFutility"
A Calgary Herald editorial says the system can only do so muchto prevent depressed mothers from abandoning or killing their children. "SheDidn't Want To Be Found"
A detailed look at Avery's time with his adoptive mother only deepensthe mystery as to why she abandoned him. A Calgary Herald and VancouverSun report. Avery ReturnedHome
Official news release from Alberta's Child & Family Services ministry. Dwarfism.org
Centralized dwarfism resources. Links to organizations, medical resources,books, legal resources, personal sites, chatrooms, mailing lists and evena DwarfStore vendor catalog of dwarf and disability-related products. Dwarfism List
Interactive eGroup forum for discussions related to dwarfism and theLittle People of America. "Serving the short-statured community since 1996!" FosterParent Training Program
Washington State's Department of Social & Health Services offersbackground, links and FAQs regarding its foster parent programs. HowTo Become A Foster Parent
Background and contact information on enrolling as a foster parentfrom Alberta Child & Family Services. LPA Online
Little People of America (LPA) support group offers dwarfism resources,links and information. MetaphysealChondrodysplasia
Medical description of Avery's rare type of dwarfism, sometimes knownas Cartilage Hair Hypoplasia. From the Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasias. Previous Articles | 
