First, let me introduce myself. My name is Samantha. I am a single mother working my program of recovery and gaining my life back one day at a time. As of today, I have one year and three months of sobriety and still climbing!!

I went to rehab on November 27, 2023. At that time, my son went to live with his dad full-time. His dad then took me to court for emergency custody while I was gone, and I agreed with the court that it was in my son’s best interest to be with his father as I needed to get myself together.

I completed inpatient rehab in February 2024 and came back home. We had court on March 4, and it was pushed through the summer. I had supervised visits with my son all summer, which is completely understandable as you have to build back trust. The entire time, I continued to pass monthly urinalysis drug screens. We went back to court in September, where he was granted full custody with me having every other weekend unsupervised. At this court hearing, he requested that I have to take six months of hair follicle testing, and these needed to be done six months in a row. Unfortunately, the entire cost of the test falls on me until the results come in, and I prove that I am, in fact, still clean. Then he only has to pay back half of the cost. The cheapest hair follicle test is $120.

I am a one-income household, trying to get back on my feet while also trying to pay all of my bills and rent on my own. I was also just put on child support, which is completely fine with me, but it also dips into said hair follicle money. Times are hard, and finances are extremely tight, so sadly, I have not been able to complete my hair follicle test because I do not have the funds to cover the test. Because I have not been able to do so, my son’s dad has decided that he will not let my child leave his house until I complete one, even though I just completed a urine drug screen. Sadly, this is not a matter of my son’s father actually believing that I am using drugs again, but rather him trying to be in control and using our child as a pawn in a sick game.

My son’s 13th birthday is coming up, and in order for me to be able to see him, I have to be able to complete a hair follicle drug screen. I know for a fact I will pass the test and am more than willing to take the test. I just don’t have the money to get the test, and he is refusing to accept a urine drug screen.

I am asking for help to pay for the next two months of hair follicle screens so that I know I will be able to see my son the next two months without having to worry about taking out of my rent money or my bill money to pay for the test and without losing my visits with my son.

Anything helps. I just wanna be able to spend time with my boy and build back the bond that we once had. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance to anyone who helps and anyone who shares this. You are greatly appreciated.