Help Philip and I keep our family together!!

Hello

My name is LeeShain Allen. I am the mother of a lively 10 year old little boy named Philip, and his father and I have been in a nasty custody battle basically since Philip was a toddler.

To preface, this will be a long read. But one I feel is necessary for your understanding. And for those that know me, know the details...but for reasons and threats of "going the legal route" from Philip's father, I've had to edit this story. As true as it may have been. 

Philip was born in Michigan, but has lived in Louisiana with me as his primary parent since he was 2 years old. Because of this, courts in Michigan will not allow us to transfer proceedings to Louisiana court, even though, as I said, Philip has lived in Louisiana primarily longer than he was ever in Michigan.

Since my marriage to Philip’s father, the two of us have endured an outrageous amount of abuse from him. We’ve experienced both emotional, and mental trauma, and that abuse continues today.

In March of this year, Philip went to Michigan for his dad’s parenting time over Easter break. When it came time for our exchange and for Philip to come back home to Louisiana, his father stated (as he always does) that he was not bringing Philip for the exchange and was filing for emergency full custody on the false claims that Philip told him my Husband, Derrick, abused him physically. An allegation that Philip has expressed to us, to be untrue and made up by his father.

A DCFS report was filed both in Michigan and Louisiana, and those reports were found baseless.

For context, my husband is ill with a debilitating disease called sarcoidosis. Derrick’s body stays inflamed, with fluids building often in his lungs making it difficult for him to breathe. Due to scar tissue from testing and biopsies over the years, his appetite is nearly gone. He cannot get overheated or stand in temps over 60-70 degrees. Derrick’s mobility is impaired via pinched nerves as well as permanent nerve damage in the L4, L5, and S1 regions of his spine due to extended prescription use of steroids to aid in his sarcoidosis. He’s currently awaiting surgery for spinal fusion for these regions of his spine.

All of this to say, my husband is physically incapable to the allegations brought against him. And we have the medical documents from his many doctors to prove this.

In August, after months of my son being subjected to horrible coercion and familial isolation from his father and other paternal family members, appeals court overturned the Michigan’s judge’s initial “decision” for temporary full custody of Philip. Philip has had to endure on more than one occasion (from his own mouth), that his father told him his family in Louisiana did not love him. That he was not worthy of love. That I am a horrible mother. That his father wished I was dead and worse, that he wished to kill me himself.

This man has been removed from an ex-girlfriend’s house (with Philip in tow) in the middle of the night due to being drunk and belligerent.

Since Philip had been home with me, his father harasses us almost daily. If he is not blowing up my phone, he is calling Philip’s school, his therapist, and has now resorted to calling our local police agency numerous times for false “welfare checks”.

I am over $35,000 in legal fees since March, with another $15,000-$20,000 due very soon. After all this time and money spent fighting for a cause he doesn’t really want, I am almost unable to keep fighting. He has not fought for any of his other 3 children as he has done for Philip. His fight is not for his “love” of Philip, but more to spite me and continue to exhibit a sense of control over both of our lives.

At this point, after 8 years, this battle will end with me negotiating bits of our freedoms and happiness, and/or allowing him to still control every aspect of our lives, just to be able to have parenting time with my son.

I am reluctant to expose just a snippet of our life recently, and even more so hesitant to ask for help, but I will never stop fighting for my son to be free of the control his father has over us. Philip can’t enjoy school, sports, or extracurriculars for the fear he will be ripped away from them once he is enrolled. He can’t even have steady therapist visits due to the interruptions caused by his father. 

If you can’t financially help, your prayers and positive thoughts are more than welcome!

Please help me to help my son have a better life than what he has had. He does not deserve to live in fear of being taken from his family. He does not deserve to feel like a pawn in a game of revenge. He does not deserve to feel unloved by his family. He doesn’t deserve any of this!

I thank you in advance if you have read this far, and I thank you even more for your donation! Every penny helps!