Main fundraiser photo

Life is not a lifetime movie....

Donation protected
We know this one, yeah? A young, sexy career woman, who's sister dies and she finds the meaning of life and love while raising the children and falling for a hot, child-adoring man, they transition effortlessly to suburbia and live happily ever after.
I'm not young.
I'm not sexy.
There's no romance waiting around the corner for me.
But I had a sister ...
A beautiful sister who adored her 4 children more than anything else in this world. She wanted them, dreamed of them, loved them so much and left them far, far too soon, when her husband left her to die, sick and alone on the bathroom floor, from Diabetic Ketoacidosis. A 911 call would have saved her life but he just...left her there

Somehow, in Florida, that is not a crime, and he kept the children. 10, 10, 7 and 3 (now 8 & 4)
He kept them after J*, the special needs one, lost weight from not being fed. He kept them after being reported multiple times to CPS. He kept them after C* and J* nearly died when J* was pulled unconscious from a motel pool and C* had jumped in to save him and they received no medical care. Finally, 9 months after my sister's death, he lost them after being found unresponsive in his car on a busy road, testing positive for cocaine. And finally, finally, I can apply for custody

Please, help me get my niece and nephews out of foster care. I am going through dependency court to get custody of them, I have no idea what the legal fees will be - it doesn't matter, I just need them safe here with me. The kids will need;
~Last minute airfare, one ticket from NY to FL to get them, and 5 back
~Bunk beds
~Winter clothes is the easy one, but they have not a coat, sweater or boot between them
~They have not been to a Dr or Dentist since their mother passed
~Therapy and grief counseling. Lots and lots of therapy. They were hurt.
~J* is severely special needs, and will need help. There are programs and I live near an absolutely fantastic school for kids like him, but I have no idea how long the processes and waiting lists are
~I'm going to need a car that seats 6, my youngest, the kids, and me.
~I'm going to have to move, my place is 2 bedrooms. It's nice, we'll fit for a couple of months, but not long term

I'm sure there's other things I'm not thinking of. And I know there are programs that help, but I can't apply to any of them until I have custody, and that doesn't help for the first month or few.

Thank you for your time and help. Hug your family. Call your loved ones. Take that picture - you look great. They want it because they love you.

Update; we just got a phone call from DCF, they are beginning the placement paperwork!!
Donate

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $25
    • 7 mos
  • Beth Baylin
    • $100
    • 9 mos
  • Elizabeth Galloway
    • $20
    • 9 mos
  • Laura Velez
    • $20
    • 9 mos
  • Diane Giammarino
    • $10
    • 9 mos
Donate

Organizer

Lauren McKendry
Organizer
Livingston Manor, NY

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee