Help Caitlin Live the American Dream

Danise Gunter Fields is organizing this fundraiser.

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Many of you know my “daughter,” Caitlin, or you have heard all about her. You may know that she has been my son, Noah’s, partner for over two years now. But please take a moment to hear Caitlin’s story.

Caitlin was born in South Africa, but she moved to the U.S. at the age of 15 as the adopted daughter of her aunt and uncle, who are naturalized U.S. citizens. Caitlin’s family in South Africa did not have the means to offer her all of the opportunities for education, career potential, and personal safety that we enjoy daily in the United States. Caitlin was joining the American Dream when she moved here 7 years ago. She graduated from high school in the U.S., worked up to three jobs at a time, and paid her own way through the first two years of college in Texas. In college, she and Noah met and fell in love.

Caitlin applied for a change of status with U.S. Immigration, spending many thousands of dollars, in order to obtain her green card and eventually citizenship. The process itself took years. Because of Hague Convention statutes governing adoptions from countries like South Africa where human trafficking is rampant, her application was denied based on her adoption status. So in spite of doing every process legally, Caitlin, at the age of 22, has been left without options. She was forced to leave school and quit her well-paying job at a fine dining restaurant. She has no legal means to earn income, in spite of being a U.S. taxpayer. She can’t re-enroll in college or drive. She can’t even visit her family in South Africa, most of whom she hasn’t seen in many years, without being refused re-entry into the U.S. She missed her sister’s wedding this year, and she worries about her elderly grandmother. Her life as been put on hold for over 9 months, on top of years of waiting to have the freedom to live out her dreams here in America.

Returning to the volatile and economically depressed South Africa, after having essentially “grown up” here in America, is not an option. In Caitlin’s own words, she desperately wants to stay in America. We have secured a wonderful lawyer who assures us that Caitlin can successfully re-apply for her green card without using her adoption as criteria, but this process is incredibly expensive. The lawyer’s fees will total at least $3000, and we feel it necessary to secure a lawyer to be certain the process goes right for Caitlin this time. The application fees to be paid to U.S. Immigration are a minimum of $1700 on top of legal fees. In total, Caitlin needs at least $4700 in order to move on with her life. And yet she is unable to work, aside from odd jobs. Neither her South African family nor our family with three boys (two of whom are in college) can provide this type of money to help her, and we have all tried for months to come up with the funds. So we are turning to you for compassion and support.

Caitlin is truly a victim of the system. Everyone who has met her sees what a talented, hard-working young woman she has become. She dreams of being an artist and biologist. She wants to stay here with her American family and friends. She desperately longs to be able to support herself, having a strong work ethic born of her South African culture. Caitlin has a spirit filled with kindness and optimism, never losing hope in her dreams after years in a situation that would break most of us. I am astounded daily by her ability to carry on and never lose faith. Please help Caitlin raise the $4700 she needs to begin her life again. 100% of donations will go to Caitlin’s legal process. No donation is too small to make a difference in this amazing young woman’s life.

We love you Caitlin!