Amanda's mom seeks custody
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Dawn Obptande misses her two-year old daughter, Amanda Runyon, according to Jennifer Behme, and Amanda misses her mother, too.
Behme is an attorney with a Belleville law firm hired by Obptande, who is seeking to regain custody of her daughter, who is living in Kentucky with her father, Eddie Runyon, formerly of Coulterville.
The last time Obptande had custody of Amanda, her boy friend severely beat the child. Amanda was hospitalized for 17 days in St. Louis, where surgeons removed 18 inches of her intestines and repaired tears to her liver. At first it was feared she'd rely on a feeding tube for the rest of her life, but that has been proven wrong.
Kraig Monroe remains in the St. Clair County Jail awaiting disposition of a felony charge of aggravated battery to a child. His bond has been set at $500,000.
That's not all. Amanda was reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services by a daycare worker for an untreated broken leg prior to the beating.
Also in 2008 Randolph County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Kennedy reported to DCFS that Amanda was at that time living in unsanitary conditions with a registered sex offender in a trailer in Coulterville.
Kennedy reported that he'd learned that Obptande dropped Amanda off with her father saying she couldn't care for the baby anymore. A few days later she demanded Amanda back.
A St. Clair County judge issued an order of protection not allowing Obptande to have contact with Amanda. Then, St. Clair County Judge Brian Babka granted custody of Amanda to Runyon. He extended the order of protection for two years. Another hearing involving the custody of Obptande's other two children was held. The results of that hearing were closed.
He granted Obptande supervised visitation rights, with Runyon's father Alan Runyon and step-mother Pamela Runyon providing supervision.
Now, Obptande is asking for custody of Amanda to be restored to her. She is also seeking to have the protection order vacated, and she is asking the court to appoint a guardian ad litem to Amanda. Obptande is also asking that a trust fund be established for money donated to help pay for Amanda's hospital expenses.
A hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, April 16 before St. Clair County Associate Judge Michael N. Cook.
Behme said that Obptande has not admitted abuse or neglect. She wasn't represent at the order of protection hearing and she didn't know all of her rights, Behme said. She wanted to be sure she could still see Amanda.
Obptande's request for a guardian ad litem is to have an outsider evaluate Amanda's best interests with the fees being paid with money raised through fundraisers held for Amanda's medical expenses. She also seeks to have all other money donated to help Amanda be placed in a trust fund. She wants someone other than Amanda's relatives to have approval of usage of the funds.
Obptande alleges in documents filed in court that Eddie Runyon plans to "utilize the proceeds (of funds and donations for Amanda) to build himself a home and pay off his vehicle."
Obptande's filings further allege that Runyon "failed to engage in a relationship with Amanda, spending little or no time with her since her birth."
The documents filed with the court, according to Obptande show that she and the state have been seeking child support from Runyon since 2009, and he has not paid any child support since Amanda was born.