Peter Schmiedel, Adam Stern, Cynthia Farenga and Carolyn Toerpe,

            January 5, 2015 will be my mother’s 96^th birthday.  Under normal circumstances, I and other family and dear friends, would have been celebrating her life by throwing her a surprise party – or at least, taking her out to a place where we all know she would love to be and share with all of us.  But as it has been since this unconstitutional, abusive, discriminatory, and financial exploitative hostage of my mother, (commencing on June 30, 2009), she has been denied association with all people she loves and trusts.  In fact, I recall with great intensity that on January 4, 2010,  I filed an emergency motion for visitation with my mother, and on January 5, 2010, being that Toerpe’s other attorney (Harvey Jack Waller) had silently withdrawn, Adam Stern showed up and argued on behalf of Toerpe and prevented my mother from spending a few hours with me on her birthday.  Reading the transcripts would break the heart of even the most hardened person, but clearly give an understanding that Adam Stern could not allow my Mother to associate with and enjoy herself in the company of all of the people she loves and trusts.  Nonetheless, under the Title II of the ADA, my mother has a right to spend her birthday with whomever she wishes, and I know she wants most to spend it with me, and her sister Yolanda and so, MAKE IT HAPPEN.

            When I spoke with her on Christmas Eve, as I reported to you, she was very ill: her throat was swollen, soar, and she could barely speak: she had chills and was seriously fatigued.  As I also reported to you, Toerpe was monitoring and controlling every word my mother spoke, and when my mother told me she had the chills, “and this can’t be good” she said, Toerpe did nothing.  But when mother tried to speak to me in private, and had her mouth close to the telephone receiver, Toerpe commanded her, “Take the phone away from your mouth,” she said, like Hitler ordering another hundred children, elderly or ill people into the “Showers”.

            As the Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations stated, Judge MacCarthy is not competent to be a judge and therefore, ignorant of the law.  I’m certain you Peter Schmiedel and Adam Stern, feel empowered after the 29^th December, 2015, but I would not be so quick to pull out the pillow(s) and suffocate my mother!  In deed what happened was upsetting, but any NORMAL person would have been saddened by the actions of this judge — as well as your actions, or non-actions.  Peter Schmiedel, the ex parte communications with the judge was evident and well orchestrated.

            Since you are all protected by the ARDC it is a waste of my time, or the time of any of the many court watchers present to file any complaints against you Peter Schmiedel or Adam Stern.  That said, be certain I have not been intimidated and I will not stop doing all that can be done within the law to protect my mother and save her life.  In the meantime, while litigation continues, it’s my Mother’s 96^th birthday and she would like to be with the people she loves and trusts and so, I will pick her up around 2 p.m.  We will go to her favorite restaurant in the Norwood Park area.  People present will be Yolanda, Art, Kathie, and Arty Bakken, Scott and Doris Evans, and R.S.V.P.’s are still coming in from a few more family and dear friends.  If need be, I will ask for the Naperville Police to be present in the exchange.  As I am a lawful person, also be assured that my mother will be brought back to Toerpe’s abode, if that’s where she is living, or to the nursing home where Toerpe has locked Mother away promptly.  It is and has always been my intention to resolve this issue through the courts, and so as I have, there is where justice will be served.

            I will begin to call Toerpe’s home phone and cell phone at 9 a.m.  I will call every 30 minutes or so until I speak to my mother and make certain she is okay and ready for her surprise 96^th birthday party.  If I’m not allowed to speak to my mother and visit with her, I will take the silence as something is terribly wrong and will do what I need to do to make certain law enforcement puts eyes on my mother.

            Again, this is my Mother’s 96^th Birthday.  All of you have done a great job isolating and financially exploiting my mother – and preventing her from associating with me and all the people she loves and trust for six years: it’s time to stop the evil and give my mother what may be her last birthday alive, the gift of her life and that is a surprise party as I planed and held for her every year since my daddy, her husband, died in 1998.  Let me close with a quote from Gerry Spence’s famous plea in closing argument,

            ““… So the smart-aleck boy sauntered up to the old man and said, “Old man, what do I have in my hands?”  And the old man said, “You have a bird, my son.”  The he boy said with a malevolent grin, “Old man, is the bird alive or is I dead?”

            And the old man, with sad eyes said, “The bird is in your hand, my son.””

            And so, Peter Schmiedel, Adam Stern, Cynthia Farenga, and Carolyn Toerpe, my mother’s life – well being, happiness – is (unfortunately) in your hands.

            Like thieves in the night, you’ve stolen everything from my Mother she held dear: her home of 52 years, her lifelong savings, memories and most of all, from  your discrimination against her because she is an older person, you’ve stripped her of the relationships with all family and friends she loves and trust. January 5, 2015 is my Mother’s  96^th birthday, for God’s sake!  You have prevented her from celebrating her birthday with family and dear friends for 5 years: don’t let this one pass without her right to associate with me, her sister Yolanda, and the Bakken family, Doris and Scott Evans, other dear friends and family and me.  This is her right as an American Citizen.  Let her have one good memory of the love and laughter we – family and friends mother’s trust – will share with her as she has had celebrating all of her birthdays, ‘cept for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 .

            There’s nothing normal about being discriminated against, held against her will, financially exploited and emotionally and physically abused — and denied all association with the people (Mother) loves and trusts.  All of this is so not normal, that to the average person, it’s unbelievable.  But for those who are actually reading this and missed the “Schmiedel” show on December 29, 2014 in Courtroom 1804, let me assure you, what happened and is happening to my mother can and may happen to you.  In sum, I believe in our laws and I know that my mother, and all older persons and people with disabilities who are discriminated against are protected under Title II of the ADA.  It’s now time for those who are in authority to step up and do the right thing…

            I’ve copied law enforcement just because, and the IARDC, only because I’m creating a paper trail:  No one can say they were not included or informed.  I’m also sending a copy to Chief Judge Evans for his file on the Sykes case.  Hopeful that one of the public entities will comply with the Title II of the ADA.

                                                Gloria Jean Sykes

                                                Mary G. Sykes’ youngest daughter.

                                                Mary G. Sykes’ named POA for Healthcare

                                                Mary G. Sykes’ best friend.