Marsalis Family
Donation protected
For the last week, as I’ve put my little boy to bed, I’ve imagined Kelle Marsalis doing the same.
What I can’t imagine is the pain she’s enduring knowing that she likely has to pack his bag and send him away this weekend.
A year ago, Kelle and Van took in an 18-month-old little boy, Shawn, from a bad situation. He had drugs in his system. He was behind developmentally. He didn’t know what it was like to live in a stable, safe home. Fast forward to today and he is a happy little boy that has caught up to his peers, loves and is loved unconditionally, and has the world at his finger tips in the Marsalis home.
Kelle and Van have been working through the process of adopting him until last week when a technical error made by the DA’s office forced their case to be dismissed and for this little boy to be scheduled to be sent back to the awfulness he’d escaped. The caseworkers have told Kelle and Van that in the long run this may help them get full custody of Shawn because everyone knows this is not a good situation for him, and that there is no way his birth mom can keep it together to take care of him. What that really means is that Kelle and Van have to send their little boy into a situation they know is unsafe and all they can do is wait for something bad enough to happen that CPS gets called again. Every night when I watch my little boy’s sweet face as he goes to sleep, I have to fight back a physical reaction to the thought of having to do that to him.
I have realized lately how fortunate I am to have such an uncomplicated life. Kelle is as much a mother as me, and Shawn is as much hers as my little Henry is mine. Yet I don’t have to worry about whether Henry will be taken from me or if he’s safe and being cared for… but Kelle does. I don’t know how she can possibly handle the weight of this all. But here’s what I do know: I know that Kelle is part of my village – the people in my life that I can count on to be there for me if I ever need it. I think she’s part of yours. And today she needs all of us to be a part of hers.
Kelle and Van’s attorney is beginning the process of fighting to keep Shawn in the home he knows with the parents he loves who provide for him the things every kid deserves – happiness, love, security. I hope you will join me in doing for Kelle what we all hope our village would do for us if it were our baby – help her fight like hell to keep her kid safe.
Ryan and I are donating $1,000 towards their legal fund. I ask that you consider donating what you can as well. I know the Marsalis Family would never ask for help themselves, but it doesn’t mean they don’t need it. Help them fight for their little boy.
What I can’t imagine is the pain she’s enduring knowing that she likely has to pack his bag and send him away this weekend.
A year ago, Kelle and Van took in an 18-month-old little boy, Shawn, from a bad situation. He had drugs in his system. He was behind developmentally. He didn’t know what it was like to live in a stable, safe home. Fast forward to today and he is a happy little boy that has caught up to his peers, loves and is loved unconditionally, and has the world at his finger tips in the Marsalis home.
Kelle and Van have been working through the process of adopting him until last week when a technical error made by the DA’s office forced their case to be dismissed and for this little boy to be scheduled to be sent back to the awfulness he’d escaped. The caseworkers have told Kelle and Van that in the long run this may help them get full custody of Shawn because everyone knows this is not a good situation for him, and that there is no way his birth mom can keep it together to take care of him. What that really means is that Kelle and Van have to send their little boy into a situation they know is unsafe and all they can do is wait for something bad enough to happen that CPS gets called again. Every night when I watch my little boy’s sweet face as he goes to sleep, I have to fight back a physical reaction to the thought of having to do that to him.
I have realized lately how fortunate I am to have such an uncomplicated life. Kelle is as much a mother as me, and Shawn is as much hers as my little Henry is mine. Yet I don’t have to worry about whether Henry will be taken from me or if he’s safe and being cared for… but Kelle does. I don’t know how she can possibly handle the weight of this all. But here’s what I do know: I know that Kelle is part of my village – the people in my life that I can count on to be there for me if I ever need it. I think she’s part of yours. And today she needs all of us to be a part of hers.
Kelle and Van’s attorney is beginning the process of fighting to keep Shawn in the home he knows with the parents he loves who provide for him the things every kid deserves – happiness, love, security. I hope you will join me in doing for Kelle what we all hope our village would do for us if it were our baby – help her fight like hell to keep her kid safe.
Ryan and I are donating $1,000 towards their legal fund. I ask that you consider donating what you can as well. I know the Marsalis Family would never ask for help themselves, but it doesn’t mean they don’t need it. Help them fight for their little boy.
Organizer
Trisha Windham
Organizer
Dallas, TX
