I Know This Family. Help Me Fight for Them.

The story the sheriff and the media are telling about Melissa Husk isn’t the family I know. That’s why I’m writing this.

My name is Erin. I live in Volusia County. Melissa is one of the most important people in my life. I met her years ago when I was her manager at work. She worked under me before she went on to move up. Somewhere along the way, she stopped being someone I managed and became family. I have known her daughter Maddie since she was small and watched Melissa and her family go through hardships and loss that no one should ever have to, but she still pulls it all together for her family. When Melissa’s mom and stepdad needed help, I was there for them too. This is the kind of family we are to each other.

When this happened last week, the Department of Children and Families needed a safe place for Maddie while everything got sorted out. Melissa’s family gave them my name. DCF called me. They placed her under my care that night, and she was with me until Friday night. I’m not writing this as a stranger who read an article. I’m writing this as the person everyone in this situation—her mother, her family, and the state agency investigating—trusted with her safety.

The sheriff’s office released a short clip of the bodycam footage from that day. It is not the full story. According to Melissa, she told deputies about Maddie’s recent pediatrician visit for eating concerns and about Maddie's care at home. None of that made it into what the public has seen. The rest of the footage remains in the sheriff’s custody. It will come out in court. By then, the damage will be done and is currently being done to destroy this family unless we push back now.

Her cats and dog miss her immensely.

I had Maddie with me for those days. She was herself. Picky about food, the way she has always been. She doesn’t even like pizza or mac n cheese. I watched her turn down meal after meal, not because she was afraid to eat, but because she’s a six-year-old with strong opinions about what she likes.

Maddie is loud, funny, stubborn, and dramatic. Anyone who knows her can tell you this. She is not the silent, frail victim in the headlines. She is a whole child, and she belongs with her family that has raised her.

Right now, Maddie is not with her family. She has been placed with a man who has barely ever been part of her life. Bringing Maddie home requires a real legal fight. That fight requires an attorney Melissa cannot afford.

The public defender system in Florida is overwhelmed. Without private counsel, Melissa gets a formality, not a defense.

We are raising $25,000.

• $15,000 for a private criminal defense attorney for Melissa.

• $5,000 for a private attorney to fight for Maddie’s placement back with family.

• $5,000 for court costs, filing fees, and investigative work.

• Every dollar goes to legal representation.

I will post updates as the case moves. I am not asking anyone to trust me blindly. I am asking you to help fund a fair fight for a family who has not had one so far.

Give what you can, or share this with someone who can. Maddie is six years old, and right now she is not with the family who raised her.

-Erin