Update: Thank you to everyone that has donated either through GoFundMe, or Cashapp, or direct offer. Between your generosity and selling items we have reached out initial goal! I have acquired an attorney and the fight has officially begun! I am keeping the GoFundMe alive due to the fact that a Guardian ad Litem is the most probable scenario during this process and the retainer only covers the first 8 hours. beyond that we are looking at $250 an hour plus whatever the GAL costs once the court assigns them. I have modified the goal, and with all of my heart I want to emphasize how much I appreciate the thoughts, shares, and donations ! Thank you all, it truly means more than the words I have to express.

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Hello to all who read this, my name is Tony Borden and I have never been the kind to ask for help. Like most people, I work hard every week and still struggle through these difficult financial times. I am a father and recently a husband, and unfortunately, I need help.

At the time of this posting, I have been served with a summons to appear in family court to battle for custody over my youngest son, Lucas. His mother and I had this legal battle nearly 6 years ago, and we currently have 50/50 joint custody. However, reading the documents I was just served, it is clear she wants more.

Six years ago, we had a really volatile break-up, and after I moved on with my life, that jealousy kicked in, and we ended up in a custody battle resulting in an amicable agreement that has lasted with relative peace and even recently what I thought was successful co-parenting. Our son Lucas struggles with autism and ADHD, and while there were some extremely difficult times trying to co-parent, we had learned how to communicate and put Lucas first. For the past several years, I have taken on extra time nearly every week due to his mother changing jobs, changing schedules, or changing residences due to relationship changes. I learned to be tolerant and understanding. After all, he is my son, and this is his home. So it wasn't a big deal that instead of 50/50, it was usually 60/40-70/30 and even more recently 80/20 when she worked a flex schedule at a prison. On his time with his mother, she would regularly call me for advice in dealing with his behaviors.

His mother, not to disparage her, is a diagnosed psychotic. A large part of what caused our volatile break. In the few years since then, she has been married 3 times out of countless relationships, has changed residences at least 6 times, and changed employment nearly every year. Through all of her chaos, Lucas has found consistency within my walls. He has structure, family, love, and peace at home with me. Just this past week, I married the woman I have been in a relationship with for the past 5 years. The woman my son calls mama, and who has been a consistent parent in his life for 4 of the last 5 years. And much like when she and I started dating, I now find myself in a legal battle for my son.

I have really been struggling financially. My wife has severe autoimmune issues that have caused her to no longer work and is currently going through the painstaking process of applying for disability. We recently applied for financial assistance, and that is when we learned that Lucas's mother had been receiving nearly $1000 a month in SSI benefits in our son's name. I remind you, she is NOT and has never been his primary guardian. So while I struggle to maintain a modest lifestyle and take care of my family, she lived a chaotic rollercoaster of a life funded by money intended for my son. To make matters worse, we missed an amazing therapeutic opportunity to help my son with his autism due to financial strain, all the while she was buying vacation trips, weekend getaways, and a new truck, all with the help of her secret income.

So I turn to the mercy of the Internet and plead for help in not only fighting for my son but to afford legal counsel and seek primary custody so that he can have the opportunity at a life that she would like to spend on herself.