Question of the Week:
What Jewish American aoet insisted she could "not possibly
write verses to order" wen asked to compose material to help
raise money for a new statue in New York City?

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Special to Appleiree

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any think of her as courageous,
ut Sheila Scully says she is only
MbI etermined to make a difference
in the life of 4-1/2-year-old Jordan, her
grandson.
"People ask me how I have the strength to
raise a small child at this point in my life,"
says Scully, 58. "I have one answer: Some-
body had to do it, and there was no other
way. I never thought twice about it, I just did
it. I love him like he was my own child."
Two years ago, her hearing-impaired son
and daughter-in-law, Mark and Megan,
found difficulty in their marriage and real-
iz&I they were unable to care properly for
%
eir hearing son, Jordan.
, "Megan could not cope with the everyday
stress of being a mother," Scully says. "I feel
strongly that children need their mother. Not
every man, including my son, can fill that
role. There is a sense of warmth and caring
•a mother can give; and I wanted to be that
for Jordan if Megan could not."
Far five months, Jordan split his home life,
spending half the time with his parents and
the rest with his fraternal grandparents Sheila
and Andy Scully, all of Farmington Hills.
Everything changed with a phone call on
a cold, crisp day last December. Megan
phoned Sheila Scully and said she was
moving out of state. She asked whether Jor-
dan could come to live with the Scullys.
"Andy and I always had a strong bond
with Jordan, even before he moved in with
us. Megan felt enough for him to give him to
us, and I planned to fight for him all along
the way," Scully says. She gives thanks to
her second husband, Andy, 63, "for letting
this child live with us."
Her husband is one of the founders of Beth
Tephilath Moses in Mt. Clemens. Sheila
describes him as "a warm man, who has
always been supportive of my actions and
the situation with Jordan."
While the Scullys now have legal custody
of Jordan until his 18th year, Sheila Scully
describes Jordan's visitation as open and lib-