A Mother’s plea for help
Donation protected
Hello everyone,
As most of you know, 3.5 years ago my ex husband was given custody of our children. They were 6 and 8 at the time. He moved them from our home in Louisiana to where he was stationed in California. I was in the hospital (ICU) when he took them and I barely got to say goodbye because they were too young to come into the ICU. As soon as I was physically capable, I moved across the country to be near my babies. Ever since I’ve been out here it has been nothing but a struggle to get to even spend a little bit of time with my kids a week. He allows me 2 hours every Sunday. Even though the papers say that I can have them for the weekend if I give two weeks notice. He enforced supervised visitations on me, something that the courts did not do. He has told people that he has a protective custody order against me, something that is also blatantly not true. After two and a half years of only being allowed to see my kids for two hours on Sunday with he and his wife standing there watching us interact, he requested a restationing to leave with the kids again. My son told me that he did it so that I couldn’t be with them every week. He moved to Las Vegas, and I immediately started looking for work in Las Vegas. When the Covid-19 quarantine happened, I was told that my children were being quarantined and I couldn’t see them anymore. During the time that I wasn’t allowed to see my kids due to “quarantine” they were still visiting their step moms family and going to parks, they were only being quarantined from me. At this point they weren’t even living with their father, as he had already moved to Las Vegas. They were living with their step parent and not being allowed to be with their parent who was in the same town. I found a job in Las Vegas and moved as soon as I could. Just to be told more of the same, that I could see them for two hours on Sunday at a park. Still requesting to see them every Friday for the visitation that I’m supposed to be afforded according to our papers. Now he has determined that I only get to see them every other week for two hours instead of every week. He kept them from me on Mother’s Day, which also happened to be my daughters birthday this year. It broke my heart. And this past Sunday, my son (who is now 11) told me that his step-mother told him that I had a mental problem for wanting them to come live with me, and that I would never have them live with me. My son was very visibly in distress over being told this. He tried to rationalize that he could come live with me, and that he didn’t understand why they were keeping him from me. An 11 year old should not be trying to rationalize that he should be allowed to see his mother. My daughter (who is now 10) was worse off. She told me that she didn’t understand why they hated me so much, and why she couldn’t come stay with me. She was crying to the point of hyperventilating because she thought that she was going to “get in trouble” for saying something to me. And her biggest fear was that they would make it to where they didn’t get to see me at all. She gave me one of her toys so that I would have a part of her with me always..... which I can honestly say was one of the best and worse experiences of my life.... the fact that my 10 year old wants me to have a part of her with me is both so sweet, but also so devastating because the implication is that she isn’t going to get to see me again so she wants me to have something to remember her by.... My son told me that his stepmother is trying to tell people that she is their real mom, because “she can’t have kids”. I am at a loss for words on how anyone can tell such things to a child. I have been excluded from their activities being told “this is a family event”. I have been told that I am not allowed to go to lunch with them. I have been saving for years trying to get the money together for a lawyer so that I can go back to court and at least get a solid outline of visitation, I have currently paid my lawyer $4,000 and he still needs the second $4,000 to finish filing the paperwork. I am reaching out for help as I can’t do this alone! My babies are hurting every time I see them. And it breaks my heart to see the look of desperation in their eyes.... I’m not allowed to tell them what is going on because the papers say not to discuss court proceedings with the kids. We have done everything in our power, including moving across states twice now, to be with our kids. And they have done everything in their power to keep me from being a part of my children’s lives. Picking up and moving to be close to my kids has put a lot of financial strain on my husband and myself, making it that much more difficult to pay for the lawyer. Anything that you can do to help would be greatly appreciated!!! If you have kids, try to put yourself in this mother’s shoes..... Please help me. Every dollar counts!
As most of you know, 3.5 years ago my ex husband was given custody of our children. They were 6 and 8 at the time. He moved them from our home in Louisiana to where he was stationed in California. I was in the hospital (ICU) when he took them and I barely got to say goodbye because they were too young to come into the ICU. As soon as I was physically capable, I moved across the country to be near my babies. Ever since I’ve been out here it has been nothing but a struggle to get to even spend a little bit of time with my kids a week. He allows me 2 hours every Sunday. Even though the papers say that I can have them for the weekend if I give two weeks notice. He enforced supervised visitations on me, something that the courts did not do. He has told people that he has a protective custody order against me, something that is also blatantly not true. After two and a half years of only being allowed to see my kids for two hours on Sunday with he and his wife standing there watching us interact, he requested a restationing to leave with the kids again. My son told me that he did it so that I couldn’t be with them every week. He moved to Las Vegas, and I immediately started looking for work in Las Vegas. When the Covid-19 quarantine happened, I was told that my children were being quarantined and I couldn’t see them anymore. During the time that I wasn’t allowed to see my kids due to “quarantine” they were still visiting their step moms family and going to parks, they were only being quarantined from me. At this point they weren’t even living with their father, as he had already moved to Las Vegas. They were living with their step parent and not being allowed to be with their parent who was in the same town. I found a job in Las Vegas and moved as soon as I could. Just to be told more of the same, that I could see them for two hours on Sunday at a park. Still requesting to see them every Friday for the visitation that I’m supposed to be afforded according to our papers. Now he has determined that I only get to see them every other week for two hours instead of every week. He kept them from me on Mother’s Day, which also happened to be my daughters birthday this year. It broke my heart. And this past Sunday, my son (who is now 11) told me that his step-mother told him that I had a mental problem for wanting them to come live with me, and that I would never have them live with me. My son was very visibly in distress over being told this. He tried to rationalize that he could come live with me, and that he didn’t understand why they were keeping him from me. An 11 year old should not be trying to rationalize that he should be allowed to see his mother. My daughter (who is now 10) was worse off. She told me that she didn’t understand why they hated me so much, and why she couldn’t come stay with me. She was crying to the point of hyperventilating because she thought that she was going to “get in trouble” for saying something to me. And her biggest fear was that they would make it to where they didn’t get to see me at all. She gave me one of her toys so that I would have a part of her with me always..... which I can honestly say was one of the best and worse experiences of my life.... the fact that my 10 year old wants me to have a part of her with me is both so sweet, but also so devastating because the implication is that she isn’t going to get to see me again so she wants me to have something to remember her by.... My son told me that his stepmother is trying to tell people that she is their real mom, because “she can’t have kids”. I am at a loss for words on how anyone can tell such things to a child. I have been excluded from their activities being told “this is a family event”. I have been told that I am not allowed to go to lunch with them. I have been saving for years trying to get the money together for a lawyer so that I can go back to court and at least get a solid outline of visitation, I have currently paid my lawyer $4,000 and he still needs the second $4,000 to finish filing the paperwork. I am reaching out for help as I can’t do this alone! My babies are hurting every time I see them. And it breaks my heart to see the look of desperation in their eyes.... I’m not allowed to tell them what is going on because the papers say not to discuss court proceedings with the kids. We have done everything in our power, including moving across states twice now, to be with our kids. And they have done everything in their power to keep me from being a part of my children’s lives. Picking up and moving to be close to my kids has put a lot of financial strain on my husband and myself, making it that much more difficult to pay for the lawyer. Anything that you can do to help would be greatly appreciated!!! If you have kids, try to put yourself in this mother’s shoes..... Please help me. Every dollar counts!
Organizer
Brandi Carr
Organizer
North Las Vegas, NV