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Isn’t it wonderful that a 70-year-old woman wants to keep her family in her family? For a child to grow up knowing that they were loved by their grandma must be a wonderful thing. Surly, none of us have a real window into the life of this woman. Maybe she has friends or community members who’ve stepped up to help; maybe she’s sourced local organization to help with transportation, shopping, and bathing the child; maybe she’s more capable than anyone is being led to believe.
There is a woman down the road from me who just celebrated her 85th birthday. She is raising three grandchildren ages 11-16 and has had them from the time each was born. She seems so very, very frail and relies on the community to help (not as much now that the oldest kid drives and they are all old enough to pitch in).
YES, the child in question may end up in a home down the line – maybe grandma will only live another five or ten years, who knows, but at least the first years of the child’s life will be filled with family history, culture, and connections. If there is a real concern, your friend needs to speak with a social worker. But no one has the “right” to another person’s child – regardless of who looks like whom. I hope that the child is safe and happy – and that the grandma is given the respect that she deserves for the enormous task she has stepped up to accept.
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