Help Contest Mother's Will for Justice

I know there are horrible things going on in the world right now. We have an important election coming up, and our economy sucks because everything costs too much and no one's getting paid enough to make ends meet. But, I am in dire need of funds to have a $1,500 retainer for my attorney to represent me to contest my mother's will. My FB friends and family who follow me know that since my dad got ill last May, my life has been a very painful roller coaster. There were so many things that happened that should have never happened.

Long story short: Dad went to the ER because of pain on May 14th. A CT scan showed a mass on his bladder, but he would have to have a biopsy to find out if it was cancer. He was admitted to the hospital, and a specialist was supposed to see him the next morning. The next day, Mother had him "evaluated" by a caseworker, who determined that he was "incapable of making his own decisions" (which wasn't true); therefore, Mother and sister became POA. This was ridiculous, because Mother was the one who had been suffering from dementia for years. Mother supposedly made the decision to not get a biopsy, and then told the hospital to restrict me from getting any medical info about my dad. I was only allowed to visit him in the hospital. That was just plain cruel. What possible reason would anyone do that unless they are not mentally stable? Every day my dad begged me to take him home. It broke my heart. He told me he regretted not selling the house and moving back to Tennessee, where he was born. He also told me, "Your sister thinks she's in charge of everything but she's going to find out she isn't. I want YOU to be the one." Unfortunately, since he was already labeled as "incompetent to make his own decisions," even though I talked to a nurse and asked her to go in my dad's room with me so he could tell her, she wouldn't. Because he had already lost the ability of being in control of his own life. I saw my dad's pain from no one listening to him or giving him answers about going home. I cannot imagine how helpless he felt. He started getting frustrated and combative with the staff. Understandably so.

After a couple of weeks, they said he could go home, but he would need someone there with him 24 hours a day. Mother was adament that she was incapable of taking care of him. I volunteered to take care of him but was ignored, because the bottom line was that Mother did not want my dad back in the house. She wanted him put into a nursing home. Well, she got her way, and he was sent to a nursing home that the VA would pay for that was an hour away and had a horrible rating. According to my sister, who Mother made the sole POA once Dad was in the nursing home, I was not allowed to visit him, FaceTime him, or talk to the nurses and find out how my dad was doing. I called the nursing home every day begging them to let me know how my dad was doing. They said I had to get my sister's permission to get information or to see or FaceTime him. I told them that my sister blocked me on her phone so I couldn't ask her. The nurses said they would call my sister on my behalf, and according to my brother, they did. But my sister refused to give me permission.

It makes me cry to think about my dad being there, alone and confused because they had him so doped up he didn't know what was going on. Not one person visited him. My mother even took her name off the call list, because once he was put away, she simply didn't care what happened to him.

During that short time he was there, he fell and hit his head. He died not long afterwards on June 5th, exactly three weeks and one day from the day he went to the ER. I was excluded from taking part in making any of the funeral arrangements. Just one more thing to stab me in the heart.

On July 9th, I found out, from someone outside the family, that Mother died. I believe it was from guilt in spite of the fact that she'd been in congestive heart failure and had COPD for over 10 years. Sister and brother were not communicating with me. It was especially sad because my brother and I used to have a good relationship until my sister tied him around her little finger and turned him against me. After getting the police involved, I found out that EXACTLY ONE WEEK after my dad died, my sister took Mother to an attorney to have a will made. Dad wasn't even buried yet. The will specifically excluded me from inheriting anything.

This is wrong on so many levels. Just one more thing to hurt me. First, my mother hadn't been of sound mind since she had a stroke and then brain surgery in 1987. It completely changed her personality. She had major anger issues and no empathy. Dad and I took the brunt of the anger, which came out of nowhere. Plus, she was nearly deaf and started having dementia almost ten years ago. Secondly, my sister is a master manipulator and pathological liar. She's always been jealous of me, and that turned into hate in 2016 after an argument between the two of us. In response to her name-calling, I reminded her of some secrets from her past that she made me a part of. That was the end of our relationship. And my relationship with my mother, which was hanging by a thread since 1987, turned into a complete estrangement because that's when my sister started her campaign of trying to turn everyone against me. So in effect, my sister's strong influence on my mother made sure that she would only have to share part of the estate with our brother.

As I've mentioned on FB, I don't care about the house or money. But there are some items of sentimental value to me that I would like to have back. My brother and sister have had this list since the end of July and have not responded, nor do I think they will without getting attorneys involved. I have taken a lot of time to think about this, and I decided that if I didn't go forward with at least trying to get those items, I will regret it for the rest of my life. The attorney I have is a good one, but I want to have $1,500 for a retainer and I'm running out of time. My appointment is October 3rd. So.... if you are able, please help me. Any amount will help. I will not forget your kindness and hope to be able to repay every one of you back in some way someday. Thank you so much. I love you all!