Fighting to Be Their Dad

My name is Kevin Arita. I’m a father to a joyful 3-year-old and a sweet 8-month-old baby.

If you had asked me years ago if being a dad was my dream, I might have hesitated. But today, I can’t imagine anything more important than being present, loving, and deeply involved in my children’s lives.

I never met my biological father. For five short years, my grandfather stepped into that role and gave me a glimpse of what a father’s love could be. I want to give my kids what I never had—a stable, caring, and consistent father.

For the past five months, I’ve been going through a painful and financially draining divorce. I have a full-time job, but even that has become insufficient to keep up with everything that’s being thrown my way. I’ve exhausted my savings just trying to stay afloat. Mediation took an unexpected turn, and now I’m headed to trial.

The strategy from the other side seems clear: wear me down financially until I can’t keep fighting. My children’s mother comes from a well-resourced family, and I believe they’re using that advantage to push me out of my children’s lives—making the process so unbearable that I’m left with no choice but to give in. But I refuse to walk away. The cycle ends with me. My kids will have their father in their lives.

All I want is the chance to be in my kids’ lives—to be the dad they deserve. I’m not asking for anything more than what the law allows. Unfortunately, getting to that point feels bleak, as delays and legal maneuvers continue to stack up. The law is meant to be fair, but people with means often find ways to tilt it in their favor.

I know times are tough for many. But if you can, your support—no matter how small—will help me continue this fight. Please help me be the father I never had. Help me give my kids the love and stability every child deserves.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

— Kevin