Alethea’s Chance

~read full story below~

Alethea is a 17 year old girl living in Appleton Wisconsin. Her journey in Wisconsin started in 2021 when she left her mothers “care” in Utah, for what she thought would be for a better chance at life in her biological fathers care. Her story sounds like one out of a horror movie, the fact this kid is still standing tall with a smile on her face is a miracle all in its own.

looking for any and all Help for us to buy groceries, clothes, school supplies, help us obtain a new copy of her social security card and birth certificate being held so she can get things like a license, help us help her get a car to get to a job, and build her a savings account worth something since all the money she has made from past jobs held in account she can’t pull from, help us so she can start her future on the right foot. Proceeds will be used responsibly and sparingly, as her guardian I’ve always willingly and happily provided for her things big or small, and would continue to do so without the generous help from donors. Majority of the proceeds I hope to be able to give her more than i or she could scrape together fast enough to get her on her feet while simultaneously working through trauma. A savings account most had the luxury of earning before being tossed into adulthood.

From birth to 15 she lived in Utah with her mother. A childhood filled with abuse of all kinds. surrounded by extremely toxic mormon ideals, deeply rooted mental illnesses in the adults around her, hard drugs fed to her at an alarmingly young age such as weed, mushrooms, acid, mineral spirits for “cleansing” (yes you heard that right) and a disturbingly long list of “etc.”. She made several attempts as a child to contact CPS with no signs of help. She was consistently left alone with random men and adults while her mother was off doing god knows what. A mother who taught her child more lessons in how to evade police (including the physical abuse she’d endure if she ‘made eye contact’ with said police) than how to be a child, a (unlicensed) child with a vehicle filled with drugs from a mother who would sell out her own child in hopes to evade police, the stories go on and would bring tears to a grown man’s eyes.

She found her “second chance” in the possibility of moving to Wisconsin to live with her father.

Only to very soon find her fate may be much different, but no less damaging.

A sophomore in high school with what felt like endless possibilities ahead of her will soon find out safety, love, and protection is a pipe dream.

A new life that consists of never being enough, blatant neglect, and verbal abuse.

A child expected (with no professional help) to shake the past 15 years of her life, and be a productive member of society. What I witnessed as her boss at an old job where our paths crossed was heartbreaking.

-Having a job was a requirement, however the need for a license was never a priority. Regardless of the constant reminder that rides to work make her a nuisance and we’re often denied for what seemed like no good reason, leaving management and other employees responsible for getting her home, while adults would be home for the drop off.

-numerous instances of her being called out of work by her parents for mundane reasons like “you have to mow the neighbors lawn before you go to work” making her an hour and a half late and disrupting her attendance and reliability at work to no fault of her own.

-The horrible names called and things said to her. Things like what a disappointment she is, she’ll amount to nothing like her mother, and how she ruins their lives. Said by The ones who should love her unconditionally.

My name is Ella VanKrey, I was aletheas boss as Aerie during this time. The first sign to me was when I first met her and she made a dark joke pertaining her childhood/mother. I laughed but deep down thought “this child has skeletons”. Then it was alethea coming to work in tears due to horrid things her father said to her and called her. It was heartbreaking to hear and witness. The next sign was when she first asked for a ride home because her parents wouldn’t, and when I dropped her noticed her father lounged on the couch watching television. This would happens dozens more times. I never once received a thank you from the parents for ensuring their child’s safe return.

Then she was kicked out for the first time, as her boss there wasn’t much I could do because of “conflict of interest” as badly as I wanted to give her safe place to stay, I couldn’t or I’d lose my job.

I did what I could, gave her money for things like food and feminine products, drove all around the city picking her up and dropping her off for work, gave her clothes as she had NONE of her own while couch surfing trap-like houses around the area, fed her, and told her I was proud of her.

Eventually I left my job, and had the heartbreaking thought I might not hear from her or be able to help her again.

Until, three months later she calls me “I’ve been kicked out again. I have nothing and no one. I don’t know what to do”

In seconds it was decided, I’ll pick you up you’ll stay with me.

Her first attempts to contact me I was blocked on all forms of communication by their access to her social media accounts.

When we finally made contact the threats ensued.

The first few days are finding our footing, what’s the plan? How will this work?

First we need your belongings. We contact the local PD to see about getting her clothes and things. This is followed by the only communication I as the adult taking their child in revived was an extremely threatening and condescending message from the Step mother. “We will call the police if there’s any signs of misbehavior”

Where were the wellness checks when she was couch surfing trap houses the last time? There were none. Because it’s not about care, it’s about power and manipulation.

When she found a safe and positive environment they fumed. She was never supposed to end up better off, she was supposed to suffer and come crawling back begging for forgiveness.

The belongings were “dropped”….. rather thrown, in my front yard.

Her bank account is controlled by her step mother, brought negative where alethea then needs to put her own money in to balance it out.

She has worked as much as she could these few years, none of the money being her own and now told to call the step mother to find out what “requirements” there are to receive her hard earned money.

She has nothing and will continue to have nothing when she is 18 October 11th due to the sick and twisted law that even if your parents abandon you, as long as you’re a minor everything you own belongs to them. There are thousands of dollars that belong to her she has no knowledge of the whereabouts and no profound hope to ever see it.

Despite this horrific story line, she remains positive. She has a smile on her face and hope for the future. She wants to graduate high school, and will on time miraculously

despite the loss of her freshmanyear/credits due to her mothers delusional/schizophrenic reasonings to pull her. I drive her everyday from Appleton to Hortonville to ensure she gets this part of her childhood. She deserves normal. She needs to work, and save for her future, and plan for her future. Things all children need to do, except most have the support and guidance from their parents. She does not.

She has a 25 year old girl, also navigating the challenges of adulthood and cost of living, with not much to give but a place to sleep and feed her and give her rides to school and work. She needs a chance. She deserves a foot in the door. Life is hard enough without the active denial and refusal of success from the very people meant to push you towards it. Help alethea start out life on the right foot, no one deserves to fight their entire lives to have a decent chance. She was robbed of her childhood, don’t let the rest of her life be robbed of her too. If I had all the money in the world I would do anything I could to give it to her.

She has all of the will, all of the motivation, and all of the light to be a productive member of society. All she needs is a little help to get the ball rolling. With a savings account worth something, When she graduates high school she can get a steady job/go to school, have a safe place of her own to call home someday, and finally start to heal from the shackles of her childhood. She has the willpower to start from ground zero, I just want to show her people do care and she doesn’t have to. Life shouldn’t be this hard.

these types of things happen everyday in our community and so many slip through the cracks. She deserved better and I’m sure there’s dozens of kids just like her with no one to fight for them for speak up for them. I’m going for change in this journey too. I don’t believe in coincidences. The first time I saw this kid I felt the urge to help her when I could, I could see the hurt in her eyes and the pain behind the “jokes” that very obviously related to childhood trauma. I saw a hurt kid smiling through the pain just desperately hoping someone will see her. But I also saw her undeniable will to fight. She still showed up, she still found it in her to smile and laugh and crack jokes. She was still incredibly empathetic. She was witty and liked to push the envelope, but was wise enough to take constructive criticism and knew when it was time to reel it in or correct her wrongs. I saw a kid wise beyond her years and couldn’t fathom anyone not seeing the sheer miracle this kid is for turning out as wonderful as she did despite the circumstances. I didn’t get what everyone was missing, She has so much potential someone just has to give her the tools. I’m thankful our paths crossed and I will fight tooth and nail to give this incredible kid the chance every person deserves.

ANYTHING helps, including: advice, resources applicable to this situation, etc. :) thank you!