My name is Heidi, and I’m a proud mom of three amazing kids. I am urgently raising funds to hire an attorney to protect my parental rights in a court case with their father.

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Recently, I was served with court papers from my children’s father. He is asking the court to take away my legal decision-making rights as a parent and to reduce my parenting time to “visitation only.” This would strip me of my equal role in my children’s lives — essentially taking away my ability to have a real say in their upbringing. Going from being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years to hardly seeing my kids after their dad moved 2.5 hours away has been one of the most difficult and heartbreaking things I have ever gone through.

The only reason the children have been living primarily with him recently is because, about a year ago, I went through a sudden and very difficult life transition, which left me without a place to live. That was never meant to be permanent. I now have steady employment, secure housing, and health insurance for the kids. I am stable and fully capable of resuming fair parenting.

Unfortunately, their father has not paid child support since last year. Had I been receiving that support, I could have gotten back into a stable home much sooner. Instead, my temporary hardship is now being used against me as a reason to strip me of my rights.

I want to be clear: I am not unfit. I am a good, loving mother who has always been present in my children’s lives. They are what makes me whole, and we need each other. While they may be doing okay now, children thrive best when they have both parents involved in their lives.

Why I Need Your Help:

When we went through our divorce, I could not afford an attorney (I sacrificed finishing school and having a career in order to stay home with the children, so I had not been working.) I tried to represent myself, and I learned the hard way that navigating family court without professional, legal help puts me at a huge disadvantage. I will not make that mistake again.

This time, I need an attorney to:

• File a strong response to my ex’s petition.

• Present evidence of my stability and ongoing involvement in my children’s lives.

• Ensure that the court sees the full picture.

• Protect my rights as a parent and make sure the children continue to have both of us in their lives.

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How You Can Help:

• Donate any amount — I have just over a week before I have to have everything prepared. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings me closer to being able to hire an attorney.

• Share this page with friends, family, and anyone who might read my story and be willing to help.

• Send love to my children and I.

❤️ Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my story. Your help gives me the chance to stand up in court with the representation I need, and most importantly, to continue being the best mother I can be. My children deserve that and so so much more.