My name is Chauna, and I’m a devoted single mom to a beautiful 12-year-old boy I call Junior. He’s full of life—kind, trusting, deeply sweet—and he also has special needs. I’ve been his primary caregiver since birth, raising him on my own while his father’s involvement has been minimal and inconsistent. Junior is my world.

Over the years, his father has only shown up occasionally. In the past year, he didn’t come for a single holiday, visit, or school event—not even when he promised Junior he would. But everything changed two weeks after I filed to adjust child support.

We had agreed Junior would spend a few days with his father. I dropped him off with his paternal grandmother, believing he would come home as planned. But instead of bringing him back, his father filed a restraining order—on Junior’s behalf—while Junior was in his care. My son, who has special needs and has always longed for his dad’s love, was manipulated into signing paperwork against me.

Because of his disability, Junior is extremely trusting and easy to influence. And now, he’s been pulled from his school—the only school he’s known since we moved to Sacramento in 2020—with no warning. He was taken from his teachers, his friends, his sisters, and me—his mama, his constant. He was taken from his best friend and our neighbors, who we carpooled with daily and who tutor Junior and teach him guitar lessons after school. He was taken from his entire support system. And now, we are completely cut off. I can’t call or text him. I don’t even know where he’s living—only the city, which is in a different county. There’s a restraining order preventing me from getting near him, and until our court date, I can’t do anything to bring him back.

To make matters worse, just days after the restraining order was filed, his father showed up at my home—uninvited and unannounced—with Junior by his side. When I told him he couldn’t come in, but Junior could, he pushed past me into my home. What followed was terrifying: he assaulted me and strangled me in my own driveway—with Junior watching.

The entire assault was caught on video and submitted to law enforcement.

Despite everything, I am still being forced to wait until court to fight for my son. I’ve followed every legal step. I’ve remained calm, patient, and focused—but it’s been harder than I coud’ve ever imagined. I can’t do this alone.

I’m raising money to help cover:

• Emergency support and safety needs, especially once Junior is back home

• Therapy for Junior and me to heal from this trauma

• Court-related expenses, including transportation, documentation, and filing

• Legal representation, if needed

• Educational support for Junior, including tools and therapies to help meet his needs

I never imagined being separated from my child like this—without warning, without peace, and without a voice. All I want is to hold my son again, to tell him he’s safe, he’s loved, and that none of this is his fault.

If you can help—even by sharing this—you are helping bring a boy back to the only stable, loving home he’s ever known. Please help me bring my baby home.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

—Chauna