JO didn't specifically say how she lost custody of Lucas. We didn't know that he was taken into protective custody at seven months by LE, but this doesn't really surprise me. I knew it must have been serious for her to lose custody and for JH to get sole custody.
Both JO and EG had mental illness and drug addiction problems. We can guess that JH had/has a problem with drugs also, but he may have cleaned up enough to gain custody of JH, and recently enough to maintain his job. Who knows eh, as we Canadians say.
There is essentially no hope for children whose parents are addicted to drugs. They will be neglected and always in danger. Add physical abuse from a drugged-out stepmother and absent in denial father, and no monitoring or follow up from CPS despite complaints--little Lucas didn't have a chance. If he had survived he would have been irrevocably damaged emotionally. That breaks my heart knowing this, even though his dying is so much worse.
I agree that MH should be adopted and not returned to JH. I have always felt that a child is better off with family even if they aren't perfect, but not in this case.
