Hi, my name is Joanna (Horwitz) Emerson, and I’m asking for help after my children, Izzy (12) and Matthew (15), were taken by their father. He kept them out of state for a month, refusing to bring them home. Even though I knew where they were, I was unable to do anything due to rapidly ensuing severe sleep deprivation, anxiety, and ultimately an emotional breakdown for which I was hospitalized.

While they’re finally safe with me again after a full month, the trauma they’ve gone through is still very real. They’re scared their father might try to take them again, and we need therapy to help us cope with the fear, anger, and PTSD.

I’m doing everything I can to protect them, but I need help covering the costs of legal fees, court expenses, and therapy for my kids. I’m working on filing for a restraining order and starting a custody battle. Our family was already under significant financial strain due to recent physical disability and unemployment. I was already struggling to cover basic housing and bills prior to this challenging time. The stress of this situation has made it hard to keep up, and your support would help us get back on our feet.

If you can, please consider donating to help with:

Legal fees to secure a restraining order and custody for my children.

Therapy to help them heal from the emotional scars.

Court costs to make sure they’re safe in the long run.

Housing and bills to keep a roof over our heads while we work through this.

Any support you can offer will make a huge difference in our lives right now. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story.

With gratitude,

Joanna