I, Jose Sencion, come to you, my friends and family, to ask for your aid.

I am in the midst of one of the most challenging situations I have ever faced. I am taking my son's mother to court in pursuit of 100% physical custody of my 13-year-old son. It is necessary due to the toxic and unhealthy habits of my son's living environment when he is with his mother.

In July 2019, during my visit between my son, me, my wife, and his sisters, many things were brought to my attention about how my son was living while in his mother's care. His education, mental, and emotional needs were not being met and have not been in many years.

While going through his phone (he is 13yrs old), I found information that led me to believe that he has become his mother's caregiver when his stepfather is away from home. My son was administering medication that includes narcotics to his mom and taking on the duties of an in-home caregiver. On many occasions, he missed school to perform these tasks. Along with caring for his mother, there were times he was responsible for the care of his nine-year-old sister as well. He was having behavioral problems and was picking up some unhealthy habits like stealing and lying. He opened up to my wife and I about taking from people while at school and stealing from the bodega (corner store). On another occasion, his mom notified me that my son was grounded for stealing her credit card information to use. It broke my heart to see my son struggling so much. His environment was becoming unhealthy for him. I believe that things that occurred when living with his mother, step-father, older brother, and his younger sister began to take an emotional and physical toll on my little guy. During my son’s summer visit with me, it was also brought to my attention that his mother's health had taken a drastic decline. She has numerous health issues that have left her bedridden and unable to properly care for my son's needs.

In May of 2019, she was admitted to a long-term care facility. Having all this information, I flew to NY and filed for full emergency custody in August. At first, I had no lawyer, so the court threw out my order. They didn’t care about all the evidence and proof I had to offer. I was told that I must obtain an attorney. Fortunately, I found a great attorney who has a lot of experience with child custody cases. Having a very skilled and knowledgeable attorney comes at a very high price. Since day one, he has diligently advocated for me and for what he believes is in the best interest of my son. My attorney believes that my son will benefit from living with my family and I in Texas. He advised me that we have a strong case and defense. I, too, feel it is in the best interest of my son to live with us in Texas. Thus far, we walked out of every court proceeding with my son staying in my care due to my lawyer fighting and not giving up.

My son was assigned a law Guardian (lawyer of his own) whom he has spoken to on many occasions. My son told her he wants to stay with my family and I in Texas and to have visits to with his mother and her family in NYC. Both my son's law Guardian and my lawyer agree it’s in the best interest of my son to continue to live with me, for me to have 100% physical custody, and for his mother and I to have joint legal custody. Unfortunately, his mother disagrees with this, and she has refused to sign my custody proposal.

His mother was unable to attend a court hearing held in the beginning of January of this year. I was told that, due to her health, she was too sick to participate in. As a result of her not attending or agreeing to the proposal, our case has been scheduled for a custody trial.

Since the beginning of this court case, I, with help from my brother, have been responsible for paying my attorney. To date, my attorney fees have been over $10,000. On the other hand, his mother has a court-appointed attorney at zero financial responsibility. Over the last few months, we have had many court dates, and the cost is drowning my wife and I in debt. Attorneys are expensive, especially good ones. Between all the lawyer fees and the flights back and forth between San Antonio, Texas and NYC for my son and I, my wife and I have begun to suffer financial hardship.

I’m happy to report that my baby boy has been with us for seven months and has adjusted so well during that short time frame. He is flourishing in school, bringing home A’s and B’s. His self-confidence and his academic dedication have improved beyond words. He has made many friends and is doing fantastic with structure and the proper guidance.

It is with a heavy heart that I ask for your help so that I can continue to fight for custody of my son. All donations will be used to cover my attorney fees and travel costs. Trust me, if I could do this on my own, I would. My wife and I appreciate any help you can provide, whether that is $5.00, 10.00, 15.00, 20.00, or more.

Please help me to be able to continue fighting for what's best for my boy!

Thank you in advance for any help!