Helping Hand for Harris Home

We are the Harris family, but we weren't always. Our story has not been a fairytale, but our love and strength are epic. We are a blended family and we have and will do anything it takes to keep our special bunch together. John, Robin, Ethan(11), Charlie(7), Johnny(5) and Loddi(10mo.) have traveled far and wide, even in times of economic and worldwide uncertainty. We have endured dozens of obstacles and put everything on the line to get to where we are today, and that’s where you come in.

We are looking to family, friends, and strangers to share our story and to ask for whatever you may have to help us overcome the astronomical legal and moving fees it has taken to get our boys safely home. If you know any of us, you may have wondered why our phone calls became less frequent, or our social media -vacant. Our family has been fighting a horrifying battle.

The birth of our daughter was a beautiful blessing, but it was overshadowed by an onslaught of horrifying news from the boy’s schools, police, child services and more. They had been kept from their Father and they were not in a safe environment. Nothing would stop us from getting them home.

Nothing could prepare us for what it would take. Logic alone was no contender in the courtroom. No report was enough, hiring a lawyer wasn’t enough, showing up and letting the system work was not enough. We sacrificed our home, relocated to be as close as fiscally possible and put everything else on hold. Filing emergency-order after emergency-order, taking notes, researching, and making custody our primary focus 24/7 has eventually come to drown us in tens of thousands of dollars of debt. Our goal, with the help of our community, is to raise funds to help cover a portion of these fees so we may rise above and finally shift our focus on living and thriving as a family.

When we started this journey, the boys were estranged and living in an unimaginable environment. They suffered from neglect, truancy, alienation, and violence in their Mother's home. The state made it difficult every step of the way, but today we are proud to say that every effort to aggressively fight for our boys is beginning to pay off.

Ethan was habitually truant, missing 81 days of school last year but now that he is home, he has perfect attendance, straight A's and is no longer guarded, but starts every morning silly and excited. Charlie was kept from attending school at all. Though he started a year late with us, he is now reading at age-appropriate levels and has finally been given the opportunity to excel socially and academically in kindergarten. Johnny loves spending time with his baby sister and truly knows how to make her laugh. He is excellent at math and enjoys building and sculpting every creation he dreams up. Next year he will join his brothers in his education journey. We were recently able to give them their first dentist appointments and despite the damage found, they are growing more and more enthusiastic about taking steps and pride in the health of their ever-growing bodies.

A lot of people were in a position and had the opportunity to help the boys along the way, but time and time again they were failed by the systems our community had in place. All odds are forever against us but we will never give up. We have endured an incredibly difficult couple of years and we are finally nearing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Together, we can show these kids the love, support, and stability they are long due.

We can give them the foundation they deserve to become successful and enriched adults.

Every dollar counts. Every penny brings us closer to closing the dark chapters and adds a new tally to the good days.

The litigation process was long, at times unfair, and unrelenting. The world did not stop so that we could live in courtrooms. Today, we are getting off the rollercoaster and we are looking for a shoulder to lean on as we readjust to solid ground.

It is not over, but it is safe to say we are making a difference.

Thank you for your time, we love you.