Hello, I'm Kristina. I'm not one to ask for help, as I have always been one to say, "I will figure it out," but I'm asking to better my son's life and to ensure he will always be safe if anything were to happen to me. I need to make sure he stays with the family that he has only ever known as family and the father that he has only ever known. Because I am asking for help, I'm going to share the best day of my life and shortly followed by the worst days.

On August 22nd, 2018, I gave birth to my oldest son, who is now 7 years old. I have never loved anyone the way I love Asher James. It truly is like living with a piece of your heart outside of your body. He is absolutely amazing in anything he puts his mind to. Life was almost perfect. I had only been able to take four weeks off, being the sole earner in the home. I left my precious baby boy in the care of his father, whom I trusted with his life. I worked two jobs to keep our heads just above water. I would get up at 5:30 AM to be at work by 6:00 AM and work until 2:30 PM, go home, spend time with the boy I prayed for, then go to work depending on the shift I was scheduled. I'd work until I was cut from the floor that night, and anyone who has worked in the restaurant business knows how that goes. I picked up shifts at both jobs almost as much as I was allowed, all the while believing my son was safe.

December 25th was when the nightmare started. My son's caregiver told me my 4-month-old son "was just sitting in his chair, flopping his arms about, and started crying and stopped shortly after." I asked several people for advice on what to do. We took him in the following day as he didn't improve. I went home after my shift and told his "father" to take him in because I had to get back to work for my next shift. I drove us to drop myself off, and they went to the clinic. Shortly after, I got a call regarding my son and that his arm was broken.

It was clear that it didn't happen from him sitting in a Bumbo chair. That was the story that kept being told at the time, but it didn't match up with my 4-month-old's injuries. Shortly after, CPS got involved because it was clear something else was going on, and several X-rays and scans later, it was very clear something was going on, as this tiny 4-month-old not only had a broken arm, but 8 ribs had also been broken, all of which didn't happen at the same time, as seen in the scans. Asher went into foster care, and my fight started. Many different stories about how his injuries happened were being told.

1. He was sitting in a Bumbo chair, flopping his arms around.

2. The dog knocked him over.

3. He rolled off the couch.

4. In the Bumbo chair on the couch, the dogs knocked him off.

5. He dropped him on the hardwood floor after letting the dog in.

All the stories, and not one matched his injuries. He had bruises, and his biological father always had an excuse, but nothing but abuse matched up.

Asher obviously had to spend some time in the hospital, not just for the injuries, but they had to keep an eye on his kidneys due to all the Tylenol his dad was giving him to hide his pain and to "get him to stop crying."

I did everything to get my precious boy back, and I did on February 28th. We were still going to court. He was charged with child abuse and spent only 90 days in jail for it. I got full custody, and he got supervised visits only within a safety center. That lasted until March of 2020, when one visit got canceled due to COVID. And who knew after that, he would never schedule another visit.

To this day, I still have no idea what actually happened that day, but what I do know is that I will never let him hurt my boy again.

I met Frank mid-year of 2020 but absolutely avoided him due to the trauma I had been dealing with. But he broke my shell, and we started dating in January 2021. We waited 6 months before meeting children. He has a daughter a year older than my son. Everything was getting better. Asher was thriving and was hitting milestone after milestone. He started to call Frank dad; I don't even remember when this started happening because it felt normal not just for Asher but for Frank. He was always there for Asher.

Children need a safe dad, a consistent dad, a providing dad. Children thrive with a father who prioritizes their well-being. This includes providing safety, stability, and financial support. A good dad recognizes that his children's needs supersede personal desire. Frank exemplifies these qualities, demonstrating unwavering support for Asher's aspirations and challenges.

Frank is the father that stepped up to cover a child he didn't birth but would give his life for. He treats him like his own. He cared for and loved us when the other man didn't want to take care of his responsibilities. He stood in the gap so Asher wouldn't lose the love of a father because his biological father didn't bother to care.

Frank is the only father that Asher has ever known.

For this reason, I'm asking for help to not only make Frank his legal father but to end a nightmare and worry that if anything happens to me, Asher gets to stay with the only man that has not only chosen to be his father but the only man that has ever been there for him as a father.

All that is raised will go to attorney fees.