Freeing Teresa

A True Story about My Sister and Me — by Franke James

Franke James

My sister was sent to a nursing home against her will

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Teresa Heartchild at the 2020 Inclusion BC retreat for people with developmental disabilities and their families to learn about rights. Teresa is smiling at the camera and holding her badge up. She is a white woman with Down syndrome wearing round wire glasses, a grey down vest, a tie-dye sweatshirt, and a backwards ball cap. Photo by Franke James
Vancouver artist and self-advocate Teresa Heartchild at Inclusion BC’s planning retreat at Loon Lake, B.C. in February 2020.

We fought and won, but thousands of others aren’t so lucky

By Franke James

My sister’s life was written off ten years ago with the stroke of a pen—just like thousands of others with developmental disabilities.

Teresa has Down syndrome, and she was 49 when the capacity assessment took place in Ontario.

I saw her as happy, healthy and active, enjoying living nearby with my 91-year-old father, who often said, “We’re a team. We help each other.”

But that’s not how the social worker saw her.  

Teresa did not say, “No”

Teresa didn’t understand what the assessment was for, and according to the records, she did not agree to be tested. But, she did not say, “No.” So the social worker asked her about her “activities of daily living.” When Teresa said that she could shower and dress herself, he concluded that her claims of independence were evidence of her “cognitive deterioration.” Others had told him she couldn’t do these things. Then, he ticked the “not capable” box on his form.

Teresa immediately lost her right to decide where she lived.

When I first heard this, I was shocked. What about her human rights? Wasn’t her right to live in the community protected by the Charter or the UN? Article 19 of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that persons with disabilities have the right to live in the community, have the right to choose where they reside, and should not be isolated or segregated. And yet, these declarations didn’t protect Teresa.

Human rights violation on a massive global scale

Three years after Teresa’s assessment, a news exposé revealed that 2,900 young people with developmental disabilities were in nursing homes in Ontario.

Across the border, Disability Rights New Jersey reported in 2023 that more than 2,000 young people with developmental disabilities were in the state’s long-term care “contrary to their wishes … because the state does not properly evaluate their needs.” Just like Teresa.

Last year, the Premier of Nova Scotia apologized to citizens with disabilities for the “historic, systemic discrimination” which denied them the right to decide where they lived. The UN’s Special Rapporteur, Catalina Devandas-Aguilar, wrote, “the deprivation of liberty on the basis of disability is a human rights violation on a massive global scale.” This injustice is widespread but few people know about it.

Nursing homes have quietly become dumping grounds for people with developmental disabilities.

Teresa’s plight is just like thousands of others

Imagine how it is for thousands like Teresa. Since she had lost her right to decide where she lived, Ontario’s care agencies and two of our siblings decided for her. Teresa was admitted as a “crisis placement” to a nursing home—despite my offers to have her live with me. She was shocked. I was horrified. And our father, her primary caregiver, was heartbroken. Teresa was trapped, unable to get out without external help.

I heard many excuses: There aren’t enough group homes! Teresa’s been on the waitlist for five years! A bed in a nursing home is not great, but it’s not terrible. The government will pay for everything! Paired with the unspoken assumption, What kind of future will she have anyway?

Four days after Teresa was put in, I went to the nursing home with my father, who signed her discharge, and Teresa was released “against medical advice.” Teresa moved in with me the next day.

Ontario’s system failed Teresa

I was appalled that the system had failed Teresa. I wanted Ontario politicians to hear her story and make sure it didn’t happen to anyone else. Two months later, Teresa and I appeared before Ontario’s Select Committee on Developmental Services. They were conducting hearings around the province. We told Teresa’s story by weaving her pictures and health records together. I said, “Teresa is an active, strong-willed and able-bodied adult. Teresa should never have been admitted to a nursing home.” 

At the end of our testimony, the vice-chair and then-MPP Christine Elliott said to me, “I think I can speak for all of us on the committee when I say that this is a truly shocking story that you have told us today.”

“Long-term care homes are pressured…”

The committee’s final report, published July 22, 2014, said: “Long-term care homes are pressured to accommodate young and middle-aged people with developmental disabilities without any medical need for this type of care or any training to support this group of clients.”

It has been 10 years since Teresa was discharged, and she is thriving. Her artwork is now on a T-shirt celebrating World Down Syndrome Day 2024.

The system bungled Teresa’s assessment

The system bungled Teresa’s assessment, and she narrowly escaped. But Teresa fought back and got her rights restored. In 2014, on World Down Syndrome Day, Teresa said, “It’s my human right to decide where I live.” She asked the government to “say sorry.” Two years later, Ontario’s Minister of Health publicly apologized to Teresa.

Despite sounding the alarm 10 years ago, thousands of young people with developmental disabilities are in nursing homes today, and more are being funneled in. That’s not fair. Nursing homes aren’t intended for people who have decades of life left.

Most vulnerable people, including those with developmental disabilities, can’t fight back against a system of forced care. Existing laws are not preventing this tragedy. We need education about ableism to change social attitudes and be genuinely inclusive.

Franke James is an award-winning activist, artist, and the author of ‘Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me.’ She lives in Vancouver, B.C., with her husband and her sister, Teresa.

Demand and Disrupt: I Am Alive

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Image of Author Franke James smiling and wearing a black hat is beside a copy of her book Freeing Teresa which has an orange cover.
Author Franke James and her book Freeing Teresa

I was recently interviewed by Lisa McKinley for the Demand and Disrupt podcast which is produced by the Advocado Press and the Center For Accessible Living in Kentucky. Disability activist Mary Johnson’s exceptional book, Make Them Go Away, is what first connected me to Advocado Press and all the great things they are doing. When I first heard the title of the podcast, it struck me as so appropriate for a disability show! Demanding and disrupting is exactly what is needed for a fairer society accessible to everyone. So, I had a great chat with Lisa, which is excerpted below. I hope you enjoy our conversation and it inspires you to listen to more episodes and also read Freeing Teresa!

Episode 26: I Am Alive
On this episode of Demand And Disrupt, Lisa McKinley speaks with Canadian author Franke James about her latest book, Freeing Teresa, a true story of heartbreak and triumph. (Listen to the full podcast here.)

Lisa McKinley: Hello, welcome to Demand and Disrupt.

Franke James: Thank you Lisa for having me on. Freeing Teresa is a true story about my sister and me, and it’s taken 10 years to write. It’s about helping my sister Teresa get out of the nursing home that she was put into in 2013 and speak up for herself.

Growing up with Teresa

Lisa McKinley: Many of us don’t have the pleasure of knowing or loving someone with Down syndrome. Can you tell me what it was like growing up with Teresa?

Franke James: Well, when my mother—this was back in 1964 when Teresa was first born—was telling me about my new baby sister, she said that Teresa had some health challenges. She said that Teresa had a heart condition that might require surgery. And I was very, very upset. I was only a little kid at that point.

And then she said, “Teresa also has Down syndrome so that she won’t be like the rest of us.” I didn’t know what that meant, but my mother said that they would bring Teresa back home, and she would be part of the family. She would participate the same way as any of us and be showered with all the same love.

My mother believed in full inclusion

Franke James: My mother was a great champion for Teresa. Back in 1964, she had Teresa working with a personal trainer to help develop her muscles. By the time Teresa was four or five, she was able to climb the gym ropes. Just totally remarkable.

Teresa, at four years of age, full of spunk and energy on the gym ropes | March 1969

Also remarkably, Teresa went to the same school I went to. I was really inspired by Teresa and by my mother’s approach to helping Teresa to be included in all things. And I remember when she was just an infant, and I would stand outside the gym doors and Teresa would scream bloody murder. And I thought, “Oh mom, you’ve got to stop the lessons. It’s hurting Teresa.” And my mother would say to me, “No, no, no, it’s good for her.” She persevered. And Teresa was not in any pain at all. She was just learning how to do the exercises.

Lisa McKinley: I love that. God bless your mom because we need people like that.

Helping Teresa get out of the trap

Lisa McKinley: Teresa was put in a nursing home back in 2013, and you helped her get out. Can you tell me about that day?

Franke James: Yes. I was so shocked that Teresa had been put into the nursing home because I’d been trying to persuade my siblings that it was a bad idea and that we should find a way for Teresa to live in the community. She’d been successfully living with my dad for 49 years. But they decided that they would take Teresa out for breakfast. And then they put her into the nursing home without telling Teresa or my dad what was happening. And I was so upset when I heard. So I talked to my dad, and I said, do you want to get Teresa out of there? And he said, “Yes, it’s a terrible thing that she’s there.”

Four days after she was put in, we helped my dad go to the nursing home. We asked to see Teresa, and saw that she was in a shared room. We sat there for hours asking if we could see the admission papers that had gotten Teresa put in. And the nurses came in and out, perhaps wondering what’s going on? Why are these people here asking for the admission papers? But eventually we got them. My dad, who was a retired lawyer, was able to see that he was still senior power of attorney on the forms and that gave him the power to sign Teresa out. And so I checked with the disability lawyer that we had on call and he said, “Yes, you can sign Teresa out. Just tell them what you’re going to do.”

Discharged against medical advice

So we went to the front desk and talked to the CEO on the phone. And we talked to the nurse in charge. They said that we could take Teresa out but she would be discharged against medical advice—because they still believed that Teresa had to stay in the nursing home. God bless my dad, he just signed the forms and said, we’re taking her out. We were so thrilled. But just as we were leaving, we heard that my sister, who I called Deirdre in the book, was coming down and wanted us to wait until she got there, however we weren’t waiting. We hopped in a cab and we went back to my father’s condo to celebrate that we had gotten Teresa out. We were so happy.

Stopping the train driving Teresa into long-term care

Lisa McKinley: Now, before Teresa was placed in the nursing home by your siblings, you actually told them, “I would like to take Teresa home with me to live with us,” but they went ahead and had Teresa placed in the nursing home. Why do you think they did that?

Franke James: When Bill and I came up with the idea that we would take Teresa into our home, it was to stop the freight train that was driving Teresa into the nursing home. We thought this would do it. We weren’t going to take Teresa before, but we agreed to take her to stop the train that was putting her into long-term care. So we offered to take Teresa.

Unfortunately, my siblings just went ahead. I think I was seen as the little sister who was upsetting their plan. And when I go back to what they said about their reasons, they gave a lot of reasons why Teresa had to be in long-term care. But none of them made any sense to me. Things like, she needs 24/7 care. Well, she didn’t. We don’t have enough money. Well, that’s not a reason to put her in long-term care and they just go on and on.

A difficult but important story to tell

Lisa McKinley: In the book, you have a lot of the figures represented as white silhouettes. Can you tell us about that and why you chose to represent certain characters that way?

From the Dinner Party Chapter: Bill lights the candles with guests Siobhan and Jared, Phoebe and Spencer already seated for dinner. Original photo by Franke James, 2013. White silhouettes added for the book in 2023.
Bill lights the candles with guests Siobhan and Jared, Phoebe and Spencer already seated

Franke James: So this is a very difficult story to tell and I’ve had to consult lawyers about privacy issues. The reason that I’ve made my siblings as white silhouettes is to protect their privacy. I can have photos in the book which document what happened and the nice life that we were having. I can be in the photos, but the figures of my siblings are not in the photos; they’re silhouettes.

And they really represent a loss in my life and in Teresa’s life, too. Unfortunately, we are no longer in touch with my siblings. We could be in touch with them, but they would have to recognize that Teresa never had to be in a nursing home, and they haven’t recognized that.

Truth on the table

Lisa McKinley: Do you think it’s possible to reconcile with your family at some point?

Franke James: Well, I think we need truth and reconciliation. Anything is possible. But we need to have the truth on the table in order to have reconciliation. I’m happy that I believed in Teresa all along and she’s really flourished.

A portrait of happiness, Teresa in Victoria in 2014

And when I go back to that time, it was just a belief. It was a belief. I looked at Teresa and I saw a beauty in her and I saw energy and love and I didn’t understand what was happening to her, but I was sure that I could provide a wonderful life for Teresa. And thank God it’s happened that way. And she’s gone on to become a published author and to actually get an apology from the government for putting her into long-term care.

Teresa has been celebrated as a champion for change by the human rights commissioner here in BC. Many people are happy to see that Teresa has spoken up for herself, said that what happened to her was wrong, and pleased that she’s going to have a nice life.

How has Teresa enriched your life?

Lisa McKinley: I think it’s incredible that you all have found this wonderful life with each other. How has Teresa enriched your life? Because I know initially it wasn’t your plan for Teresa to come live with you. Initially, your brother was going to open his home to Teresa, but he decided against that and now Teresa lives with you, and I’m sure that has enriched your life in ways you never even thought possible. Could you tell us about that?

Franke James: Yes, it has turned our life upside down, but in many ways it’s improved it. So we were quite happy living in Toronto. We had a nice house, we had a nice business, we had nice friends, but when the shit hit the fan, we dropped everything and we decided to move west. Thousands of kilometers away from Toronto to the West Coast of Canada, Vancouver.

Teresa spoke out on Change.org and asked for an apology


Really, our lives revolve around Teresa. It is so inspiring that Teresa’s found her voice, she’s speaking up, she’s making art work, she’s letting us know what she thinks and feels. We see it every day.


Growing into becoming a caregiver

Lisa McKinley: I wonder if you would speak to some of our listeners who may be in that same situation. Maybe they have a loved one that needs more care than what they’re getting and there’s the choice to open the home to that loved one. What would you say to family members?

Franke James: Well, I had to grow in order to become a caregiver to Teresa. And I wasn’t really sure if I could do it. Now I brush Teresa’s hair, I put mineral oil in her ears at night time. I read stories to her and we draw on the computer. And these are all lovely things that I’ve grown into doing. But they’re not things that I initially understood that I would have to do.

So, I would say that helping someone vulnerable live in the community will enrich you a thousandfold. It may be very difficult to believe that that is true, but in my case with Teresa, it has been true. We’ve all blossomed and grown.

What’s ahead in the future?

Lisa McKinley: I know you have some really cool things coming up regarding your advocacy and things going on with you and Teresa. Can you tell me what is in the future for you all?

Franke James: Well, there are two things that I’m really excited about. One is we’ve got an audiobook coming out, and that is going to be so fun. It’s the Freeing Teresa audiobook. We have a full cast with over a dozen actors, two with intellectual disabilities. The actor playing Teresa is Lauren Potter, who is an American TV star better known for Glee. And we’re very excited. I think that this book is really going to be powerful to listen to because you’ll be able to hear all these different voices of the characters in the book instead of just me reading the whole thing.

Lisa McKinley: And I know you have some events planned. Can you tell us about that?

Franke James: Yes! Teresa and I are appearing at a panel at the Inclusion BC Conference in late May. The panel is “The Quiet Reinsinstitutionalization of Young People with Disabilities in Nursing Homes.” We have a couple of experts on the panel with myself and with Teresa, and we’re going to be talking about the problem. And I think that Teresa has such an important role to play because she is a living example of someone that this happened to 10 years ago, and it should never have happened.

Screenshot
Teresa’s self-talk poem: “I Am Alive”

Lisa McKinley: Franke’s right. It should have never happened. But the sad truth is stories like this will continue to happen without the support of strong advocates. So thank you Franke. We’d like to end today’s program by taking a few minutes to listen to a short poem. Teresa wrote about what it means to her to be free and alive. It is a poem of self-talk. Self-talk helps Teresa make sense of the world around her. And now here’s Teresa.

Teresa Heartchild: I AM ALIVE.

Hello.
Be nice to everyone.
Look, I am alive.
You have to be nice.
I am doing fine.
Thank goodness.
I have to be nice to them.
And to the others.
That’s a brilliant idea!
You’re thinking.
And I’m thinking too.
I think we need to make a list of the things we need.
Right. I’m alive. Nesters. Flying Pig. Prado.
We love it here.
Everybody loves me.
You guys are alright, I know.
You guys, I am born. I am alive.
Redeemed.
Okay, I am reborn.
In Gastown.

The Demand and Disrupt podcast is supported by the Advocado Press and the Center For Accessible Living based in Louisville, Kentucky. This excerpt of the interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

“Our interview with Franke James about her book “Freeing Teresa” has been one of our most popular podcast episodes to date. The link to the episode has been shared more than any other.” Dave Matheis, Center For Accessible Living

Listen to Episode 26: I Am Alive

A Sister’s Rescue Mission for Disability Justice

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The rescue mission: Franke James with her camera and Teresa Heartchild with a plastic whistle at the Toronto nursing home on November 30, 2013. The book Freeing Teresa is superimposed on top.
The rescue mission: Franke James with her camera and Teresa Heartchild with a plastic whistle at the Toronto nursing home on November 30, 2013.

“Forced care is happening to people with disabilities around the world. Most people don’t escape. And the world shrugs.” ~ Franke James

BOOKTRIB REVIEW

The memoir opens on the night of November 30, 2013, with cops knocking at the door.

Franke, her husband Bill, and her father had just freed Teresa from the nursing home she was forced into. From that tense beginning scene, we jump backward in time to get glimpses of the events leading up to that pivotal day.

[Based on digital records] readers are introduced to a cast of people — Teresa’s siblings, father, and the key players in her life. But in all images, Teresa and Franke’s siblings are whited out, a deliberate approach to reflect their absence in Franke’s life, and their role in Teresa’s…

Bill lights the candles for the dinner part with Siobhan, Jared, Spencer, and Phoebe

With an aging father and a sister with Down syndrome, this group of siblings naturally worries about ensuring their relatives are taken care of. Still, nobody is willing to step forward… for fear it will interrupt the flow of their lives. Casual discussions turn to planned meetings to determine the future of Teresa and their father’s care—without either’s knowledge or consent.

Things turn dark

Things turn dark as Franke and Bill hit dead end after dead end, until pressure spurs the couple into a final decision — to let Teresa live with them. Of course, it’s easier said than done, as the group of siblings will do anything to maintain control.

Who decides where you live?

Should everyone have the right to choose where they live? The answer seems obvious — of course, choosing where you live is a basic human right.

But for Teresa Heartchild, an artist, self-advocate and author who has Down syndrome, everything changed when that right was taken away from her. Teresa’s older sister, Franke James, gives a true account of the arduous path that led to Teresa’s wrongful institutionalization and eventual rescue in her memoir, Freeing Teresa.

Climate Activism Lays Foundation to Fight for Disability Rights

Freeing Teresa depicts complex dynamics between family members and harsh ableism directed towards Teresa — but it also celebrates growth, change and humanity. Though this is a portrait of Teresa’s life, her autonomy, intelligence and endless capabilities, it also shows the transformation Franke embarks on over the course of her own life.

Dedicated To Those Who Are Different

Freeing Teresa is dedicated to “those who are different” and is a refreshing reminder that people who are different deserve the same dignity and respect as any of us. Franke’s constant persistence that Teresa is so much more capable than anyone expects, and her determination to fight for her sister is inspiring. In 2023, Teresa celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her rescue.

Franke’s wise words make for a touching closing thought: “The struggle for equality is never done. But sometimes by standing up for what’s right, you can make a difference.”

See the full review by Megan Beauregard on BookTrib: Memoir Recounts Sister’s Rescue Mission and the Ongoing Fight For Disability Justice

Buy the book: Freeing Teresa

Tickets to Freedom

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A True Story of Empowerment

The compelling saga of siblings in conflict over one sister’s disability and the right thing to do

Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me
“The result is more than a memoir: it’s a testimony to how ‘tickets to freedom’ are gained through fighting and love, displaying how Teresa’s own wishes and interests add fuel to the fire of empowerment on many different levels.”
D. DONOVAN, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review (excerpt):

Franke and Teresa found themselves virtually alone. Standing against forces of medical, legal, and psychological systems bent on declaring Teresa incompetent and institutionalizing her for life. 

Surprisingly, Franke’s work as an environmental activist and the lessons she learned from that job translated nicely to her efforts on her sister’s behalf. They provided a foundation of methodology, approach, ideology, and confrontation that served her well in her latest battle.

From decision-making empowerment and voting rights to navigating possibilities for Teresa, Franke’s interactions with her father and siblings provides a powerful set of discourses that examine ideals, realities, and the mix of special interests and perceptions that can create a perfect storm in a family. 

Of particular interest are the points of contention that clearly outline different possibilities in acting and reacting to family members: 

“Weren’t Deirdre and Conrad still in charge? Probably, I said. But the alternative was seeking guardianship through the court system, and that could take six months or more. If we went down to Aiker Place with Dad, he could ask to see the paperwork, and maybe there would be another way. We both believed that Dad would have the moral authority as Teresa’s father and her primary caregiver. Maybe that would be enough.”

From issues of control to others about empowerment and battles… Franke lays out a candid, clear course of struggle. This will engage a wide range of readers, from those coming from legal circles to families facing their own internal and external truths.”

Read the full review
Buy the book at Amazon

Family, disability rights, and the fight for freedom

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Book Review by SHUBHAM LAKHINA, @a_limitless_reader 

Gripping narrative

The complex dynamics of family, disability rights, and the fight for freedom are woven into Freeing Teresa by Franke James. It is a gripping narrative which chiefly focuses on Franke’s quest to challenge her siblings’ decision to place their disabled sister, Teresa, into a nursing home against her wishes.

Riveting battle

Franke’s commitment to Teresa’s autonomy and dignity is unwavering, thus setting the stage for a riveting battle against the forces determined to deny her sister’s right to self-determination. Despite resistance from her own family members, who wield power as Teresa’s guardians, Franke refuses to back down. Then, she rallies a team of supporters to champion Teresa’s cause.

The enduring bond between two sisters

Straightaway, readers are drawn into a compelling narrative of courage, resilience, and the enduring bond between two sisters. Franke’s advocacy for Teresa’s freedom is a powerful reminder of the inherent worth and agency of individuals with disabilities. This book challenges social norms and systems that seek to marginalize and disempower them.

A rallying cry for social change and inclusivity

Franke’s vivid storytelling and candid reflections invite readers to confront their own preconceptions and biases. This prompts a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families. It is a captivating narrative of one family’s fight for justice and a rallying cry for social change and inclusivity.

Shines a light on broader issues within the disability rights movement

Freeing Teresa shines a light on broader issues within the disability rights movement. Significantly, it highlights the ongoing struggle for community-based living and the right to choose one’s own living arrangements. Teresa’s story is contextualized within the larger framework of civil rights. Throughout, Franke underscores the importance of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of ability, have the opportunity to live with dignity and autonomy.

Freeing Teresa colour hardcover with an orange cover and blue silhouette of Teresa raising her arms overhead. Her body is filled with a photo of blue sky, low mountains, and a sandy, rocky beach;
This book is a must-read for anyone passionate about disability rights, social justice, and the fight for freedom

Summing up, Freeing Teresa is a compelling read that will leave a lasting impact on readers. Franke James’s courage in the face of adversity serves as a testament to the power of advocacy and the enduring strength of the human spirit. This book is a must-read for anyone passionate about disability rights, social justice, and the fight for freedom.

Soul Healing Sisters

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“Giving foot spas brought me closer to my sister with Down syndrome”

Teresa closes her eyes and smiles, saying, “Ahh, that feels good.” I agree; it feels great when I have my feet washed and toenails trimmed – I just never expected to give a pedicure to my younger sister with Down syndrome! And as those moments gradually added up over the last decade, I realized that we were both healing our souls as sisters.

“I became my sister’s carer overnight“

You might think I’ve always been the caregiver type, but no. I unexpectedly stepped into the role due to the difficult circumstances which I talk about in Freeing Teresa. Looking back, the moment of change was unexpected and fast. Without knowing what was happening, Teresa was taken away from our father and suddenly put into a nursing home by my brother. Teresa was traumatized, crying and scared. My other siblings said that she would be “safe” in the long-term care facility, but I was shocked. It certainly wasn’t what Teresa wanted. Thankfully we rescued her and she came to live with me. But it changed our lives forever.

“I’ve learned that good caregiving is just kindness”

And that’s when I discovered that good caregiving is really about kindness. After all the troubles we’d been through, I was willing to do anything to make her feel loved and wanted. I discovered that foot spas were a way to soothe both of us. And to heal our hearts.

Sole therapy that’s good for the soul

Franke James giving Teresa Heartchild a foot spa. Both sisters are laughing. Teresa is wearing floral leggings and a blue shirt. Franke is wearing a beige sweater and a red striped apron.
Teresa and Franke share a laugh during the Teresa’s regular foot spa

Ten years ago, I had no idea how much hands-on care I would have to do—and would want to do as Teresa’s caregiver. Now, one of her favourite things is getting a foot spa.

Read more in “Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me” and later in 2024, “Escape to Lotusland: Teresa Finds Her Voice.”