Hi everyone —

I’m Teresa, a proud mom of three incredible kids — one grown and out in the world, and two younger ones I’m still fighting to have meaningful time with here in Florida, where they have so much family, love, and community waiting for them.

I’ve spent years working hard in the hospitality industry as a restaurant supervisor, bartender, and server. Anyone who’s met me knows I’ve always tried to spread a little sunshine wherever I go — whether it’s making someone laugh across the bar, listening when they’ve had a tough day, or turning an ordinary shift into a moment of connection.

My two younger children haven’t been back to Florida in over three and a half years. During the height of COVID, I lost my job and my home. It was one of the hardest moments of my life, and at that time, I made the painful decision to agree to let them move to Texas with their dad so they could have the stability I couldn’t offer then. I did what I thought was best for them, even though it broke my heart.

But life has changed. I’ve rebuilt from the ground up — I have a stable home, steady work, and a loving support system here in Florida. Now, I’m simply trying to create a fair parenting plan that gives my children the chance to spend real time here with me and with the family and friends who love them so much.

This legal process has been ongoing for seven years, and as my final trial date approaches, I’m facing the last stretch of expenses that I just can’t cover on my own. I’ve worked countless hours, picked up extra shifts, and pushed through exhaustion — even during painful autoimmune flare-ups — but I’ve reached the point where I need help to keep moving forward.

It’s hard for me to ask for help, but right now, I have no other option.

Every contribution, no matter how small, will go directly toward:

Attorney fees and trial costs

Court preparation and documentation

Trust preparation and related legal filings

Mediation and travel-related expenses

I’m reaching out because I believe in the power of community and kindness.

If I’ve ever brightened your day at work, lifted your spirits, or shared a laugh when you needed it most, please know your kindness has always stayed with me. Your support now — whether through donating, sharing, or sending words of encouragement — truly makes a difference and helps bring me one step closer to stability, peace, and the chance to hold my kids close again here in Florida.

Thank you for helping me bring this long chapter to a close and finally step into a new one filled with light, love, and family.

With love, light, and endless gratitude,

Teresa Ruth Ganter

“Still spreading sunshine — even through the storm.”

Update:I want to be brutally honest about what this GoFundMe is for, because this fight has drained me in every way possible. The money I’m trying to raise is only for my attorney fees for trial — up to $10,000 just to have a fair chance in court. This isn’t about creating drama or “going after” anyone. This is about a mother who refuses to give up on her children.

I’m not trying to take them away from Texas. I’m not trying to disrupt their stability or uproot their lives. I’m not fighting to “win.”

I’m fighting for time. Real, meaningful time with my kids — holidays, school breaks, memories that actually matter.

It’s been over three and a half years since my children have been able to come home to Florida. Three and a half years of missing birthdays, seasons, milestones… years I can never get back. The only times I see them are the couple of trips I can afford to make to Texas, and even that has become a constant uphill battle. Three and a half years of watching them grow up through screens instead of beside me. Three and a half years of swallowing heartbreak and pretending to be strong because that’s what moms do.

I’m fighting for the right to hug my own children on Christmas — in Florida.

To hear their laughter in my home again — in Florida.

To let them feel the love of the family who has been waiting for them — in Florida.

Asking for help is something I never wanted to do. I’ve carried this alone for so long. But I can’t carry it financially by myself anymore. I’m doing everything in my power to show up for them, and this trial is the only path I have left to secure meaningful time with my kids again.

If you’ve donated, shared, or even just taken a moment to care — thank you. Your support gives me the strength to keep going. This isn’t about beating someone in court. This is about a mother who refuses to fade out of her children’s lives, no matter how hard the road gets.