Justice for Carlos

Hello,

My name is Shauna Jones, together with my husband Tim, we have dedicated the last seven years to caring for our nephew Carlos. On March 19th, 2024, Carlos's greatest fear became a heartbreaking reality. What was supposed to be a 14-day vacation to visit his maternal family in the Philippines turned into a nightmare of abandonment.

March 21, 2024 marked the last time anyone in the U.S. heard from Carlos, he stated he was unable to eat due to him being so homesick. His father returned to the U.S. on April 4 or 5 to resume work, leaving Carlos abandoned in the Philippines, purportedly against Carlos's wishes as communicated to his school by his father. Upon receiving the heartbreaking news of Carlos's abandonment, we immediately resolved to exhaust every legal recourse to bring him back to the United States under our care. Carlos now faces an uncertain future 6,555 miles away from the only home and family he knows and loves. We do not know if Carlos is safe, or even alive at this point. We have been denied all and any communication to Carlos and his whereabouts.

Carlos came to live with us in January of 2017. Carlos was born in the Philippines to his mother and Tim’s brother. Tim’s brother is from the United States and is a long haul truck driver. His mother remained in the Philippines caring for

Carlos until she tragically died when he was one. At three years old his father brought him to us to care for him as he is unable. Carlos came to us unable to speak english and only spoke his native language, Tagalog. He came to us at a young age, filled with nervousness and fear. He had poor dental hygiene and pain throughout his mouth, and we worked to fix this unfortunate situation. His father has come and gone in his life due to his profession and has not taken a full active role as a parent. He has denied Carlos and us a relationship with his maternal family,

We have been committed to Carlos, if that means taking him to his dental appointments, soccer games, school activities, friend playdates, and numerous other outings. He is a part of our family to our core. We have created a nurturing home for him where he has thrived in school and his personal life. Carlos is a fun loving ten year old boy who loves to be a part of his community's array of activities, and have adventures with his friends.

Carlos has lived with fear his entire life that his father would take him and abandon him somewhere. He feared trips with his father, never knowing what to expect, and whether or not he would be able to come home to the only home he has truly ever known.

We are looking for support to help with legal costs and counseling for him upon his return as this will be a hefty upward battle and all we want to do is be able to bring Carlos back to the home he knows and loves.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated and we thank you for your continued prayers and support.