Help My Father Gain Legal Rights to His Son.

* UPDATE *

I just want to share a little more about why I started this fundraiser.

I’ve been trying my best to help my dad both financially and legally. I’ve paid what I can and even tried to act as his attorney by filing the legitimation petition myself. But I’ve reached the point where I’m stuck. The legal system is complex, and without knowing the right steps to complete the process, we can’t move forward without professional help. That’s why I started this GoFundMe. Not because we haven’t tried, but because we truly need support to keep going.

Right now, every time my dad or my little brother gets sick, their only option is the emergency room. My dad has COPD and no insurance, and he simply can’t afford the medications or care he needs to stay healthy and keep working. He wants to work full-time again, but without healthcare and stability, it’s almost impossible. Because he is not his son’s legal guardian, he also can’t do the same for my little brother. He can’t even get my brother’s Social Security number to apply for insurance or Medicaid for him, because there’s no legal proof that he is the biological father, even though a DNA test confirms it. My dad will be eligible for state help for himself when he turns 65. So not only does this legitimation help him get help my for brother, it also allows him to have some coverage now as well being a single parent.

This is the reality of the system in Georgia. You can look it up or do your own research to see how difficult this has been to achieve. When my brother’s mother passed away, she didn’t leave behind his Social Security number, and my dad wasn’t on the birth certificate. It’s a series of heartbreaking and unfortunate events, but my dad is trying so hard, and I’m trying just as hard to help him.

My dad has done hard physical labor his entire life. Day in and day out, since I was a child. He’s 61 now, living with COPD, and he’s still trying to keep going. He’s not asking to stop working. He just needs the medical help to keep doing what he’s always done: show up, provide, and take care of his son.

He’s doing his absolute best, and I’m doing everything I can to support him. But we’ve hit a wall. Without access to his medication, his health continues to decline. And that directly affects his ability to care for my little brother, who loves him more than anything. They are best friends. They cannot be separated. Not emotionally, not practically, not in any way.

Please take a moment to read this and truly understand what we are asking. This is not just a legal issue. It is a fight for their health, their stability, and their ability to stay together as father and son.

If this legitimation goes through, it would not only legally recognize him as his son’s father, it would also allow him to get his last name on the birth certificate and apply for Medicaid and other assistance they both qualify for. It would mean access to regular doctors, dentists, school forms, medications, and all the basic things that are currently out of reach because of one missing legal step.

This is not just about court filings. This is about helping my dad get back on his feet and provide the life his son deserves.

⸻

Hi everyone,

I’m raising funds to help my father with something incredibly important: gaining legal rights to his 12-year-old son, my little brother.

My father and his son’s mother were together for several years and shared a child. Sadly, she passed away three years ago. Since then, my father has been raising his son on his own, doing his best to provide love, stability, and care through everything.

The problem is that he was never added to his son’s birth certificate. Because of that, the state of Georgia doesn’t legally recognize him as the father even though a DNA test has already proven that he is. Without legal rights, he can’t sign school papers, apply for Medicaid or food assistance, or make medical decisions for his own child.

To fix this, he must go through a legal process called legitimation, which would officially recognize him as his son’s parent. It’s a necessary but costly process, involving attorney fees and court filings that he simply can’t afford right now.

My father is 61 and has COPD, which makes full-time work difficult. He’s doing everything he can, but without legal rights to his son, they’re stuck in a tough situation with limited access to the help they need.

We’re hoping to raise $5,000 to cover the costs of hiring an attorney and completing the legitimation process. Once it’s finalized, my father will finally be able to provide his son and himself with the legal protection, medical care, and stability they both deserve.

If you’re able to donate, share, or even send words of encouragement, it would mean so much to our family! Every bit helps bring them closer to the security and peace of mind they need.

Thank you for reading and caring. ♥️♥️