Donate to help Baby Luca and Mama Chai

Hey, it's Chai! You might know me already, but if not I'll give you a run-down.

I'm a single mom of three wonderful kiddos who are 8, 6 and 6-months old. I've been a full-time tattoo artist for 5 years now and have had Sole Custody of my older kids, Quill and Ahroun, for 4 years straight. I was holding it together mostly, doing my best in my community and giving Quill and Ahroun a vibrant life. But the last year, being pregnant, postpartum and in a really disorienting situation has made it difficult for me to keep up. I lost my storefront business, and me and my kids lost our home last year.

Now I'm 6 months postpartum and am working two jobs to reestablish stability. I wish that was enough right now.

We had a whole plan. The changes came so unexpectedly.

Since we didn't have a legal arrangement, my baby Luca didn't get to see me or hear my voice for a whole 6-weeks. Thank goodness I was able to get legal help.

But good representation comes at a cost... civil cases like this can cost $10-30k before getting resolved!

I’ve Already Paid:

$8,300 for legal defense,

~$2,000 for emergency relocation back to Denton,

And much more to reorient my children with childcare.

I'm very, very grateful for tattooing. Right now, it's just not enough to help me through this next phase. I'm out of resources.

To complete the next court-ordered step in my custody case, I urgently need to raise funds. There is a time-limit on this, and I am not in a place to gradually save. Due to the nature of the situation, the continuation of the case is necessary to determine the healthiest placement for our son.

I'm shooting for the moon here, so that I can also help my older kids, Quill and Ahroun, transition more peacefully throughout this time. We moved once last year upon emergency and moved back again upon emergency so that I could maintain custody of Luca baby. It's been a lot on everybody, and due to the emergency move, I really fell short of my goals to give Quill and Ahroun a happy transition.

I really wish I could share the whole story with you, because I believe you would be moved. But that would be morally and legally inappropriate.

In short though, the kids will always be central in this ask for help. And I cannot in my right conscience accept the current custody agreement.

I've Invested

Countless hours rebuilding my tattoo business from scratch;

Immeasurable time with paperwork, testimonies, and more in litigation protecting my rights to be in Luca's life;

and

So many tears and confusion as to why things had to go down this way.

I'm a mother doing everything I can to keep my family safe, stable, and whole.

What This Fundraiser Covers

Related court and filing fees

Anything extra goes directly toward supporting my children—helping them adjust to this sudden upheaval

~Your Small Actions are Meaningful!~

I know times are tight. But if 1000 people donated $10, we’d be able to pay for the next step. That’s a skipped coffee. A drive-thru meal. A little bit of kindness that helps a mom keep her baby.

If you’ve followed my story, thank you. If this is your first time hearing it, thank you for reading this far. If you can’t give, please share this campaign. Every prayer, every repost, every act of support means the world.

With love,

Mama Chai