Advocate Impact: Sandra Damrow
May Story of Hope
Written By: Courtney Turner, Sandra's Advocate Supervisor
The Department became involved with Zoe, Blue, Mia, and Jeremiah September 17, 2017 due to Physical Abuse and Neglectful Supervision. The children were living with their mother and her paramour who were in a domestic violence relationship at the time. When the children felt safe, they made outcries of physical abuse by their mother, sexual abuse by a past paramour of the mother and additional accounts of neglect became known. CASA was appointed to the case in October 2017 to all four children, during which time; the children were in two separate placements.
Ms. Sandra Damrow has been an advocate for four years and consistently goes above and beyond in her advocacy. She ensures the children’s educational needs; therapeutic needs and social needs are met. I am not sure how she does it, but she exceeds all expectations, to include but not limited to, maintaining contact with the childrens’ caregivers almost weekly, arranging sibling visits monthly, uploading school reports, etc. Her efforts show not only through her comprehensive documentation but also through the way the family, associated parties and the Department respond to her. When the eldest child was hospitalized and removed from her sisters and paternal grandparents, Ms. Sandra made the trip monthly to visit her so she would not feel alone. She realized the importance of being a constant in her life and standing by her in that difficult time.
I am not sure how she does it, but she exceeds all expectations, to include but not limited to, maintaining contact with the childrens’ caregivers almost weekly, arranging sibling visits monthly, uploading school reports, etc.
I have had the pleasure of being the lucky recipient, Advocate Supervisor, of Ms. Damrow and have seen the impacts she has made. In February 2019, this case went to Mediation in hopes of reaching an agreement or, at a minimum, narrowing the scope of issues to secure permanency for the children. No agreement was reached thus resulting in a three-day court trial.
I recall Ms. Sandra voicing her nervousness to me, but I assured her ‘you got this’ because I knew she was prepared and would be an asset to the case.
Had she not been a fearless advocate and made the efforts to contact all parents monthly she would not have had grounds to testify to certain things that she had personally observed or heard. Had she not seen her children consistently and spent quality time she could not assess the growth and change in all of them. I felt very proud to see her pull out dates, formulate objective responses and earn the respect of everyone in the room. This case was concluded in the favor of DFPS, the paternal relatives, biological father of Jeremiah, and CASA by The Honorable Judge Salinas.
Jeremiah has been placed approximately six months in a safe and loving home with his father. The children have sibling visits twice a month to include sleep overs at least one weekend a month. The girls have found permanency with their paternal grandparents and are doing well. They have a chance to finally become children and have ceased parentified roles. Their grades have improved, they participate in extracurricular activities and are becoming better day by day. Its moments as such that assure me of the hope that lies when a seed of love is planted.
Brittany Coppage
CASA Volunteer Advocate, Christina Albert, was appointed to the case. She immediately contacted CPS, then reached out to the grandparents and traveled to visit the children.
