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This is Brighton ♥️
My name is Nick Packard. I’m not a lawyer, not a politician — I’m a construction guy, a small business owner, and a dad who’s been fighting every single day for the most important thing in my life: my son, Brighton.
It’s been over 1,400 days since he was taken from his home without my knowledge or consent.
No warning. No permission. Just gone.
She moved him across the country 2000 miles away when he was 4. But not before frauding me into transferring the suv into her name, and cleaning out the safe of more than $70,000, and when asked, she said “this isn’t my first time”— and when I went to the courts to try to get him back, I was hit with false allegations meant to destroy me. It took 11 months to clear my name. I was never charged, not even called or questioned. Just a subpoena for my Google file, but in the eyes of the system, that didn’t seem to matter.
What followed has been the darkest stretch of my life.
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TIMELINE OF PAIN
• 10 months with no visual contact
• 26 months without tucking him into bed like I used to every night
• 33 months before I could even bring him back to Arizona for a short visit
Brighton has Down Syndrome and Autism. He’s behind developmentally.
Since being taken, he’s lived in a home with three adults who smoke, and with a parent who hasn’t worked in nearly two decades. He missed two full years of school. He needs and deserves more.
And yet, after everything, the courts still haven’t ordered him back.
Even though the appellate court agreed that the relocation lacked legal grounds, they upheld it anyway.
In the beginning I was ordered to have my visitation to be Wednesday's 9-noon
every week in Georgia. That cost me two days a week of work, not counting airfare. Then every other week, and if I missed a visit, I started over.
Now, I can barely afford once a month.
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WHY I’M ASKING
This fight has destroyed my savings, my credit, my business, and most of my relationships. The legal fees, trauma, and years of isolation have left me with Complex PTSD. I’m nearly 50, rebuilding everything from scratch — physically, emotionally, and financially.
And through it all, I’ve never stopped showing up for my boy. He’s non verbal, but more verbal before he left. And just recently when he was here I got him to say 11 new words. One being his name. He can’t pronounce the r’s but I understand him clearly. Just yesterday he finally said ba-bye dada ❤️
This fundraiser isn’t about asking for handouts. It’s about trying to stand up one more time so I can keep going, keep pushing, and figure out the next move. Whether that’s a new legal route, a relocation, or just getting out of the red long enough to think straight — I can’t do it alone anymore.
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WHAT YOUR SUPPORT DOES
• Covers debt from legal battles I never asked for
• Keeps my business alive long enough to recover
• Funds a possible move or appeal that could bring Brighton home
• Gives me a shot at healing, so I can be the dad he needs. As I have sought professional help
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WHAT I NEED FROM YOU
If you’ve ever been a parent… if you’ve ever fought for someone who couldn’t fight for themselves… if you believe kids need their dads too — then please share this.
Share it with your network
Post it in father’s rights groups
Email it to someone in power who needs to see it.
If enough people see this — if enough people feel it — maybe someone who can help will.
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The last thing I’ve ever wanted to do is ask for money. But I can’t stop fighting for what is best for my son. If I thought for a second that where he is now was in his best interest, you wouldn’t be hearing from me.
I’m broken. I’m tired. But I’m still standing — because he’s worth it.
If you’ve read this far, leave a with state abbreviation. I would like every mother and father in every state to read this.
– Nick
Brighton’s Dad
full video link
they explain more of what has unfolded.
Venmo is Nick-Packard #480-577-8167
❤️
Organizer
Nick Packard
Organizer
Mesa, AZ