I will try to keep this simple, but it is a long story. In August 2005, I married my high school sweetheart. He joined the Army and our life together began. April 2009, we welcomed our firstborn to the world. Wyatt stole my heart and I got to spend the first year of his life raising my blue-eyed baby on my own, as his father was deployed. That year taught me so much about patience and love. I never knew a heart could love so fully. April 2011, we welcomed our second son, Austin, into the world. Austin had a head full of curls and gave me a run for my money, as this baby didn't like sleep and suffered from GERD. Wyatt and Austin were best friends, inseparable. Not long after my now ex-husband left the service, we moved back to our home state and started life as a civilian family. October 2013, my beautiful daughter Madelynn was born. The boys didn't really know what to think about having a new baby in the house, but it didn't take long for them to be wrapped around her finger. While our marriage was nothing like I dreamed, being a mother to these three was the most amazing experience. May 2016, I made a decision that I thought was the best I could have made, given the circumstances. You see, I had spent the last ten years married to a man who hated me. He was abusive both physically and emotionally. I won't go into the details of all that here, but I will tell you I was afraid that if I took the kids with me when I left, he would have sought retribution. I thought by allowing him to keep the kids in their home, I would be disrupting their lives as little as possible. This is a mistake that I regret every single day of my life. In the beginning, we worked together to make sure the kids were taken care of. Not long after, he told me I was not welcome at his home, or at church, and then he removed the children from public school and placed them in the care of a church member for homeschooling. Slowly, I was allowed to talk to the children less and less. I went from doing everything as a stay-at-home mother to not even being allowed to talk to them. My daughter turned 4 and I was told if I showed up at her party, I would be arrested for trespassing. This is how life has been ever since. We both found new love, and we both re-married. My husband and I welcomed my last baby to the world in June 2017. My ex-husband welcomed a new wife and her three children into his life. I thought this would mean we could move on and be better for the children, but again, I was wrong. Our divorce decree states that we are JOINT Conservating parents. I have met all stipulations: married to my partner, steady job and home (I work for the state and I've had the same home for almost 2 years), and each child has their own bed (Madelynn in her own space, the boys in another). I attempted to play nice and asked if I could see the kids once a week. They agreed and I got to the see the kids in their home for a while. Then suddenly that fell through, "they felt uncomfortable" with my visits. I have not seen them since the last half of 2024. The decree states that my visitation starts when I provide adequate sleeping arrangements, which I have done, and yet he claims "the arrangements are not adequate" and refuses to provide a reason why. At this point, I can assume he will never let me see my children. This brings me to the fundraiser. I am prepared to go to court and represent myself, but it would be so much easier to navigate all of the legalities if I had a lawyer. I have evidence to support all of my claims: the abuse, the countless attempts to see my children, all of his text messages to me (where he's been very disrespectful towards my husband, myself, and my youngest), and proof that I have done everything asked of me. I am desperately asking for help. I applied for Legal Aid and was denied because we are JUST above the cut-off for income. I have tried to find pro bono help, but most of those lawyers are tied up in immigration cases. I have spoken with a few different great lawyers in the area, but we simply cannot afford to pay the retainers and the hourly. I know times have been difficult for everyone, but anything you can help with would be greatly appreciated, even if all you can do is share. The only thing I have ever asked of this man since we split was to let me continue to be their mother. It is my greatest joy and my heart hurts every day that I spend apart from them. My youngest has been so excited to see them, and yet I have to keep telling him to be patient. The greatest joy of my life has been the privilege of being a mother. Without them, I am not whole.
Artículos relacionados
