Help Jessica's Nephew Get Knee Surgery & proper housing

Hi! My name is Jessica. My husband and I have recently taken in our 16-year-old nephew. He is in need of surgery for his knee that has him in pain. Unfortunately, the hospital has rejected his surgery, saying that my POA is not legally binding because it is not signed by a judge.

His mother has basically abandoned him due to being an addict for all of his life, and his father died of an overdose when he was a toddler.

We desperately need to hire an attorney to help us navigate this situation so that we can try and get legal guardianship of him. I am not only worried about this surgery but also any future medical emergencies that he would require a hospital visit for.

Things have been beyond tough for us as we have 4 children of our own. We are a single-income family, still trying to pick up the pieces from my recent cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. We knew we were going to be taking our nephew in sometime in the near future, but we were hoping to have adequate living arrangements first. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find something in time. His grandmother's health has been declining, and so we had to take him in sooner than expected.

Unfortunately, we just can't afford much of the housing out there with the restrictions that the down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers has put on us.

We just want to be able to provide a proper home with space of his own but, more importantly, medical care.

This sweet boy has been through hell and back in his short time here on Earth, and I just want the absolute best for him because he deserves it. He is so polite and such a gentleman. He is always asking me if I need help around the house or with cooking dinner.

He wants so much to be able to play sports, and currently, that is not an option without surgery.

So if you could find it in your heart to help, our family would greatly appreciate it! I know my sweet nephew would!

P.S. I have to protect his privacy which is why I'm not posting his face on here.

Thank you so much!