Hello, my name is Liz Simmons and I'm starting this fundraiser on behalf of my daughter Heather Moomey and my granddaughter Hannah.

Hannah is an incredible young women with big dreams, and my daughter has worked tirelessly as a single mom to support her every step of the way. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond her control,Heather is unable to create this fundraiser herself. That's why I'm stepping in to share their story and ask for help.

Everything you read below is written by my daughter, in her own words. I hope you'll take a few minutes to hear their story, share it,and, if able, make a contribution to help keep Hannah's college dream alive.

Backstory

I’m a single mom to an amazing daughter who just turned 18. Almost three years ago, I had to file for bankruptcy. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about the long-term consequences, I was just trying to survive.

Now, my daughter Hannah has a dream: to attend Indiana University Bloomington and study Sports Management. She’s a huge IndyCar fan, so Indiana was her first choice. She was also accepted to Michigan State, which would have been much more affordable, but they don’t offer the program she’s passionate about.

To make her dream possible, I reluctantly asked her father to co-sign a loan. He’s never been very active in her life, but this was an opportunity for him to do something meaningful that wouldn’t cost him anything. To my surprise, he was happy and proud to help. The three of us even sat down together, spending hours applying for different loans before deciding that the Parent PLUS loan was the best option. Everything went through, and Hannah left for college.

What Happened

About three weeks later, I received loan paperwork in the mail and needed some information from Hannah’s financial aid account. When I logged in, the loan was gone. Thinking it was a glitch, I called the financial aid office, only to be told that the loan had been canceled days earlier.

Shaking, I immediately tried calling her father, but every call went straight to voicemail. Panicked, I drove to his apartment. When I arrived, he tried to slam the door in my face, but I stuck my foot in the door and went under his arm to get inside,

I was pretty desperate for answers. He picked up his phone, called the police, and refused to say a single word to me.

When the police arrived, I explained everything. After they spoke to him, they came back and informed me that he was pressing charges: harassment, unlawful entry, and even a felony accusation that I had used his Social Security number without his consent to apply for the loans.

Where We Stand

I’m still in shock. Hannah is heartbroken, not just because her dream may be slipping away, but because of her father’s actions. She can’t believe he chose to call the police instead of simply talking to me, and she’s devastated that he’s pressing charges. The possibility of having to come home from school has crushed her.

I’m setting a high fundraising goal because I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I may need to step away from work, I may need a lawyer, and above all, I want to make sure Hannah’s education doesn’t get taken away from her.

We are so grateful for any support, whether through donations or by sharing our story. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts ❤️