Nanas in the News
Here are 3 news stories about grandmothers in the news! Be sure and read them all!
Kentucky
Six years ago an Elizabethtown toddler was murdered and her grandmother is making sure their little girl is not forgotten.
Madison Ann Cundiff, nicknamed Madi by her family, died May 7, 2004 after her father’s live-in girlfriend shook her to death. Madi’s death left not only a void, but also piles of medical and funeral bills.
Madi’s grandmother, Hope Cundiff, is doing everything she can to try to ease the pain of losing a child for other families. She’s raising money for the Madison Ann Cundiff Memorial Foundation. It works to help family members of a murdered child by paying the funeral costs and establish a scholarship fund for siblings.
“I hope we never have to help anyone, but you and I both know that’s not going to happen,” Cundiff said. “So, we want to be there for the folks.”
Friday night, Cundiff made sure a concert would do just that. She brought together gospel groups from around the area to sing at the New Horizon Baptist Fellowship in Glendale, Ky. Local musicians say they were glad to help.
“We appreciate the opportunity to offer not only our support for the family, but for the community,” said Dave Emery of the Chuck Wagon Gang.
For more information you can visit the Madison Ann Cundiff Memorial Foundation.
(This story came from WHAS 11)
Oklahoma
Police Tasered an 86-year-old disabled grandma in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she couldn’t breathe, after her grandson called 911 seeking medical assistance, the woman and her grandson claim in Oklahoma City Federal Court. Though the grandson said, “Don’t Taze my granny!” an El Reno police officer told another cop to “Taser her!” and wrote in his police report that he did so because the old woman “took a more aggressive posture in her bed,” according to the complaint.
Lonnie Tinsley claims that he called 911 after he went to check on his grandmother, whom he found in her bed, “connected to a portable oxygen concentrator with a long hose.” She is “in marginal health, [and] takes several prescribed medications daily,” and “was unable to tell him exactly when she had taken her meds,” so, Tinsley says, he called 911 “to ask for an emergency medical technician to come to her apartment to evaluate her.”
In response, “as many as ten El Reno police” officers “pushed their way through the door,” according to the complaint.
The grandma, Lona Varner, “told them to get out of her apartment.”
The remarkable complaint continues: “Instead, the apparent leader of the police [defendant Thomas Duran] instructed another policeman to ‘Taser her!’ He stated in his report that the 86 year-old plaintiff ‘took a more aggressive posture in her bed,’ and that he was fearful for his safety and the safety of others.
Remind me not to ever have agressive posture in my bed!
England
Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, are expecting their first child in December, a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II’s first great-grandchild.
A statement issued Friday by the palace said “the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn’s family, have been informed and are delighted with the news.”
Congrats to the Queen!
Have a super Saturday and send me any news stories about Nanas that you think are interesting!
You are so right, Linda. There are two sides to every story! Thanks for pointing this out! Even grannies can be dangerous!
You probably would have a better time if you were to “take an aggressive posture in bed” because you wouldn’t have a knife under your pillow and try to kill yourself and threaten to kill the policeman with a knife if he “comes any closer ;-). I agree they were ridiculous (if she was on oxygen, they should have been able to subdue her) but in this day and age, with medications that make people “go off” I would be a little hesitant (when trying to talk to her didn’t work) as well. Haven’t you seen the stories of little ole grannies subduing robbers and thieves? They aren’t what they used to be!