My name is Shanna, and this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write.

I am a mother trying to protect my little girl, a little girl who has been crying out in ways no child should ever have to. Over the past months, I’ve watched her break down before, during, and after visits. I’ve held her while she trembled, cried, and begged not to be put in situations that she feels unsafe in. I’ve listened to her express fear, confusion, distress, and heartbreak with a level of honesty and desperation no child should ever carry.

And I have done everything, absolutely everything the court has asked of me, even when it tore me apart inside.

I followed every judgment.

I complied with every order.

I showed up for every step.

Even when those steps made her experience even more distressing.

As her mother, I will always do what is required but I also cannot unsee what I’ve seen, or unhear the things she has told me.

Why I’m here asking for help

This process is incredibly expensive.

I never imagined that protecting a child emotionally, mentally, and legally would come with a price tag that could climb to $40,000–$50,000.

In just a few months, I’ve already spent close to $18,000 on lawyers, interim agreements, and legal steps that ultimately didn’t protect her the way she needed.

And now, I am commited to a full assessment, more court dates, more legal representation, and more procedures all necessary to ensure that my daughter’s voice is finally taken seriously.

I am not someone who asks for help easily.

I am strong.

I am resourceful.

I am a fighter.

But this… this has pushed me to my limits in a way I never expected.

What your help means

Your support isn’t funding a fight.

It’s funding her safety.

It’s funding her voice.

It’s funding the professionals who need to hear her truth and advocate for her well-being.

It’s funding a mother’s ability to keep showing up without collapsing under the financial weight of a system that moves slowly while children suffer quickly.

Every dollar will go toward:

• Legal fees

• Court representation

• The clinical assessment she needs

• The steps required to ensure she is protected and truly heard

My promise

I will continue to stand by my daughter with everything I have.

I will continue to follow the process with integrity.

I will continue to fight for her in the places where she can’t fight for herself.

But I can’t do it alone anymore.

Not financially.

Not after everything we’ve already endured.

If you choose to help in any amount you are helping a child who has been crying out for someone to listen, and a mother who refuses to give up on her.

Thank you for reading our story.

Thank you for caring.

Thank you for helping me protect my little girl.

With all my heart,

Shanna