Catherine Ristow

I googled "Catherine Ristow" today to see what was happening in her case and found this link. It's tragic and completely unjust that she won a judicial reprimand against the attorney that stole her daughter, yet her daughter isn't home with her.

These words appear to be from Catherine herself, though there is always room for doubt on the Internet. I'm copying several of the posts from this thread for your ease and reading. There is more at the link

September 26, 2007
I do appreciate the support that I have been getting out there on the
computer! Thank you to all. Micheal Shorstein was not the attorney I got coerced
to give my beautiful daughter up....it was Patricia Strowbridge in Orlando,
Florida. The only thing I know about Shorstein is he is in cohoots with
Strowbridge. Yes, I did won a professional reprimand against Strowbridge, but I
still can't see my daughter. Yes, I was severely mentally sick, but I am doing
so much better now, to the point that I am a night manager in a busy hotel. If I
can do that and have the trust of the General Manager and the corporation, I can
take care of my daughter, or visit her with responsibility. This adoption
industry is absolutely terrible....what they do to genuine women who did not
have their child murdered by abortion is beyond my now mentally healthy
comprehension. Birthmothers love their babies so much just like mothers who were
fortunate to have a readily available support system and have kept their babies.
My family did not know until it was too late, thanks to Strowbridge and her
staff. I kept asking about what to do, and they would skirt around the subject,
or ignore it, which made my mental health worse, because I could not comprehend
downright cruelty at the time. Never in a million years, with my then naivety
and poor mental health would I think that people would deliberately snatch my
daughter away from me. I am angry, but I am willing to forgive if I get a
genuine apology.......from Strowbridge?.....she will never step up to the plate,
NEVER, she rather hide behind her Judge husband's bench. Thank you for reading
this

October 1, 2007

Thanks for your support. I am managing, I will NEVER stop fighting for my daughter. I do things for her now even without seeing her........like writing to her in journals and having a savings account for her. I see you are in Orlando, Fl and you appear to be an advocate and supporter for victims of highly unethical and illegal adoptions. Please spread the word in your area that the pregnancy center that is a missionary of a baptist church on LB McCloud is POISON. They are pro life (which is great) but they go about it wrong, they don't care about the birthmother, just the baby so they can get a kickback from the only referral they used in 2001, which was Patricia Strowbridge. I complained so hard that they supposedly do not use Strowbridge as a one and only referral anymore, however the director of that pregnancy center, Sandra Epperson, hung up on me and raised her voice at me because she could not handle the fact that I caught her in a cohoot situation with Strowbridge. There is so much to cover, and I could go on and on, but I will stop for now. Please try to pass on the information, and hopefully we can save someone from being a victim like me. Most importantly we can save an innocent child from being purposely ripped from their blood roots and what makes them tick. Thanks again and God bless. Catherine

December 6, 2007

I don't know if the way adoptions are done in this country by fleshpeddling will cease to exist in my lifetime. Lawyers such as Patricia Strowbridge and Micheal Shorstein are continuing to get away with unethical and illegal practices due to their connections within the legal community. There are a lot of birthmothers that don't share their nightmare of experiences, having their baby stolen legally, due to lies and manipulation, in fear of being ridiculed for falling in that vulnerable trap. The more birthmothers share their stories, the more chances that adoption laws will change in this country to protect birthmothers. In the adoption industry there is no one that protects birthmothers, no one. It is all about the adoptive parents who pay that are protected. The baby is merchandise. Birthmothers are considered baby machines with no feelings. As a birthmother I am beyond insulted. I am a human being, with feelings, and I deserve to be protected. I hope that one day my story will be considered a legal past precedent, considering I did win a professional reprimand against Patricia Strowbridge. I hope that one day adoption will be used only in cases of extreme emergencies, not used to bully women out of their children so "subsitute parents" can relive their childhood through the pain and suffering of the real mother. I hope and I hope....also I hope adoptions professionals can look at themselves in the mirror clearly with no justification of their unethical and illegal behavior. Oh by the way, if adoption is so great why havn't Patricia Strowbridge and Micheal Shorstein given up their children???? All I can say is they are ballsy and hypocritical. If any birthmother reads this, PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD....I guarantee you that it will make a big difference one day and laws will be changed! Thank you for reading this.

December 9, 2007

I am definitely utilizing this Topix website. This is Catherine Ristow, again, yes, again. The Adoption Ethics and Issues website is playing games with me with submitting my comments...so, since this is such an easy one to submit comments I decided to use it. Marilsa Medina made comments on Adoption Ethics and Issues saying she is a Senior Adoption Coordinator in Orlando, Fl and that Chosen Child, in Orlando, Fl, is a legitimate and ethical fully licensed agency. Marilsa Medina works for Patricia Strowbridge. When I was forced to work with them in 2001, they were not an agency, after they legally kidnapped my daughter, they became an agency in the August 2001 time period. When I interacted with them they were a lawyers office that accepted one and only referrals from Sandra Epperson, a pregnancy director. The flow of birthmothers coming in were not protected in any way shape or form. They were used in a carefully crafted system. Their clients, the adoptive parents, were protected. Marilsa Medina says they are ethical and legitimate, that is such a bogus hypocritical statement from her. I WITNESSED her manipulation and lies. I asked Marilsa for my time with my daughter in the hospital and she said Patricia has kids....well, what about my kid?...then she watched me cry in silence along with Patricia while she stamped away with her notary. I was expressing doubts throughout my pregnancy and she boldly used the tactic of saying "Catherine, do you believe in God?". She never had time for me, always brushing me off saying she is busy. Marilsa had children, Marilsa if adoption is so great why didn't you give up YOUR daughter? Please ignore Marilsa Medina's comments on the Adoption Ethics and Issues website, she is a total hypocrite who constantly justifies her UNETHICAL and CRUEL behavior so adoptive couples can make cookies at a loving genuine real mothers expense. It is obvious that I am angry, but I have absolutely every right to be. I am a mother and I cannot see my daughter, only in sporadic pictures throughout the year to shut me up. Thanks for reading this.

December 13, 2007

I'd like to make one more comment about Marilsa Medina, as I realize I have exhausted this topix website, with my fifth entry, however there is so much to cover.....Marilsa Medina tricked me out of a conversation with the Winter Park, Fl adoption hospital social worker, Hilda Perez. Marilsa brought her in my hospital room within 10 minutes of me having a c-section. Marilsa used the tactic of asking me if she should leave since Hilda was there. I said that was okay, this put Hilda on the spot, and she asked me one question, "do you know what you are doing?", I said "yes", because of the brain wash of an adoption plan I was forced into due to a pregnancy center being in cohoots with Patricia Strowbridge, a lawyer....and an adoption counselor, Angela Quick, a founder of an adoption center in Port Orange, Fl, who was utilized as a detective to see how I ticked to insure a complete adoption........also I was severely mentally ill........the only word I said to Hilda was one word yes, later Patricia Strowbridge BOLDLY LIED and said that I talked to the hospital social worker for an hour!!!!! Hilda drifted out of the room after my one word yes, that does not take an hour. Having some interaction was needed in the paperwork I was forced to sign, when I asked for more time and they gave me no other options, they were silent. I AM TELLING EVERYONE, ADOPTION SCAMS, UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR, AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY, WITH PATRICIA STROWBRIDGE AS A PRIME EXAMPLE. I appreciate everyone reading my comments!!! I love my daughter, and I will never stop fighting for her.

December 15, 2007

IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT I AM NOT SCARED OF PATRICIA STROWBRIDGE. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF...I AM A HONEST PERSON, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE....I AM A GRIEVING MOTHER THAT HAS NOT SEEN MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER IN SIX YEARS WHEN I ASKED FOR MORE TIME IN THE HOSPITAL, IF I WAS DEALING WITH ETHICAL AND HONEST ADOPTION PROFESSIONALS THAT CARED ABOUT ME AND WERE PROTECTING ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED MORE TIME AND I WOULD HAVE MY DAUGHTER NOW.......BUT, OF COURSE NOT...GREEDY SELFISH ADOPTIVE PARENTS WHO SMOTHERED ME WITH (GIVE ME YOUR BABY GIFTS), WERE WAITING AND HYPERVENTILATING OUTSIDE MY HOSPITAL ROOM AND ALL PATRICIA STROWBRIDGE CARED ABOUT WAS THEM AND A COMPLETE ADOPTION...I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON, BUT I AM SURE ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE READ MY COMMENTS HAVE THE FULL PICTURE, WITH MY SIXTH ENTRY. IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE, GOOGLE MY NAME, I AM STARTING TO BE EVERYWHERE IN ADOPTION CIRCLES. I LOVE MY DAUGHTER AND MISS HER SO MUCH........THANKS TO ALL FOR READING MY COMMENTS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS! CATHERINE

February 7, 2008

I just found on another blog dated the same date January 12, 2008 that you put comments on this Topix website, that you put the statement, "Patricia Strowbridge is a God send to us". It would appear that you are a new adopted mother and Patricia may have encouraged you to submit a comment since she is getting very bad publicity. I hope Patricia Strowbridge has learned her lesson and that handling illegal and unethical adoptions is wrong and evil. Hopefully she has applied what she has hopefully learned and handled the adoption of your adopted son legally and ethically, but I am sorry to say, I DOUBT IT. It would appear that all adoptive parents that use Patricia Strowbridge are happy because she gets them what they want, a child. The adoptive parents naturally are going to have more joy out of adoption that birthparents. How many birthparents are going to say "Patricia Strowbridge is a God send to me"? I guarantee you ZILCH or maybe one or two because she brainwashed them with their vulnerability. I say and I am speaking for other birthmothers dealing with her that she, Patricia Strowbridge, is "the devil sent to me". Adoption can be a beautiful thing for all parties involved if it is done right and for the right reasons. Like I said before, I was mentally ill, and Patricia Strowbrige did not do a mental health evaluation, when it was obvious to her and the adoptive parents of my child that I was sick. Of course not, if an evaluation was done it would interfere with her and the adoptive parents agenda. Mother4Life, I have noticed that you have not rebuttled me or Charles Hannasch with your real name. It would appear that you do not want to face the facts...I guess you are too busy spoiling your new adopted son. Let me ask you this, do you ever think about the real mother of your adopted son, and the tremendous sacrifice she did for the love of her son, or are you just delusional and in denial while you pretend your adopted son is really yours, when the reality is he is not. Yes, legally, but not naturally. Oh by the way, I am still waiting for an apology from you. Thanks to all reading my comments

April 3, 2008

Thanks for your encouraging words, and nice to hear from you again. I will always fight for my daughter. No updates yet, but there are some things in progress, it just takes time...My daughter in my arms again...Do you know the first thing I would like to do with my daughter besides tell her how much I love her? Have a sit down with her and a therapist so we can both overcome the terrible affects that adoption had on our lives and then we can move on. My daughter is the true victim. She is being used by her adoptive parents for social status. They begged me for her when I was sick because they thought I was pretty and they wanted a pretty child. They use her for all the fun activities that come with having a child and could care less about her mental health. I say that because they don't care about me so that means that they don't care about her. When the time is right I will reveal in public who the adoptive parents are, I am sure they won't mind, after all they did willingly give me their identity. This will give them the opportunity to tell their side of the story. There is always another side of a story, however the difference between mine and theirs is I have nothing to hide and they do. Thanks again, just5kids, and God Bless! Catherine

April 4, 2008

Here are a few examples of brutal tactics that I got from the adoptive parents of my daughter.

"We are forever in your debt"

"You are so brave"

($100 flowers in the hospital)-the card read"All Our Love and God Bless

just had a C-section, not one comment was made about my health but an invite....

"Catherine, christening..."

"with love, and great expectations"

"I would like a little more open of adoption and perhaps we can talk to Patricia about this..."

I have it all in writing and MUCH MUCH MORE. All I can say is WHAT A CROCK!!!! The adoptive parents of my daughter are LIARS and HYPOCRITES! Well, I am done for now. Thanks to all for reading my comments! Catherine

April 7, 2008

Dear Just5Kids,You think what I told you was awful, that is just the beginning....The adoptive parents don't even respond to my parents pleas for visits....my parents did not know until it was too late, thanks to all the coercian from Patricia Strowbridge's office....I kept asking about what to do in telling my parents and they would skirt around the subject or ignore it...anyway, my father wrote the adoptive parents pleading that he was 65 and did not no how long he had left on this earth to see his granddaughter and guess what the adoptive parents did? IGNORE MY PARENTS PLEAS. My parents not knowing greatly helped in Patricia Strowbridge ability to kidnap, the adoptive parents knew it...and then later when my dad requests a visit THEY IGNORE HIM!!!!! I am truly scared for my daughter's mental health being with these people. I can go on and on about them, I havn't revealed who they are for now, but I am so grateful that I know who they are. They used their identity with me as a tool to get my flesh and blood and their property.As far as the judicial reprimand, it was a reprimand that I won within the Florida Bar. All the reprimand has given me so far is credibility in my comments because the Florida Bar believed me and saw the truth. The adoption of my daughter stands because Patricia Strowbridge is married to a Judge and has connections with the legal community in Orlando where she appears to be protected. It is called corruption, no one down there will touch my case, because if they did Patricia Strowbridge would lose her license and my lawyer would be considered a black sheep for causing such a commotion in the legal community of Orlando, Florida. Also my lawyer would have to cross legal paths with Judge Wattles, Patricia Strowbridge's husband, and there would be serious ramifications for exposing the truth!!I hope I answered your questions...This adoption industry has no mercy, NO MERCY AT ALL! Sharon Tate was 8 1/2 months pregnant when Sicko Charles Manson followers brutally murdered her, when her last words were about her baby...they had no mercy on her.....same thing with adoption professionals, they may not brutally physically murder you, but they brutally mentally murder you by preying on your poor mental health, vulnerability and pleas for more time with your baby, and they have no mercy whatsoeverI also would like to say that I am getting the mental health that I need and I do go to therapy. I will stop for now and thank just5kids and everyone for their support. I am positive that one day it will pay off and these cruel, evil and mean adoption professionals will be forced to find another field of work.

Pregnancy is difficult, and some women struggle with their health. A treatable mental health condition is no reason to take a child from her mother. But it seems it is a reason for adoption entities to make a profit.