My daughter’s ninth birthday is on Sunday. Despite the things she has lived through and witnessed, she sees rainbows and butterflies everywhere she goes. If you know me, you know I would sell my soul to protect her. I donate plasma twice a week. My husband works six days a week, usually ten-twelve hour days. We took out a personal loan. We maxed out our credit cards. This morning, after learning our taxes are under review (no errors that we have been made aware of, just under review) I started debating pawning my engagement ring and everything else I have of value. A friend suggested I try this.

I have spent so much money, that should have been spent on my daughter, in custody court to try to protect her, and if I have to, I will sell or pawn everything I own of value. I currently owe my custody lawyer money and he is requesting more on top of that.

My daughter’s biological father has not seen her in over three years. In those three years, she has THRIVED. For a third grader, her grades are amazing AND she has an Instructional Reading Level of 6.3, which if you don’t know means she’s 80% proficient at reading sixth grade level materials. I’ve continually kept her in dance classes and she wanted to try basketball this year so we did that. She should get to try everything she wants. She deserves to have a safe and secure life.

The last time my daughter remembers seeing her biological father, is when he punched me in the arm and tried to yank her by hers in the end January of 2022. I have a police report detailing that event.

I met my daughter’s biological father in 2014. The relationship we had could be described only as abusive. I have a memory from December of 2014. I remember how his hand was around my throat, and how he kept squeezing, how I tried to get my fingers underneath, my face dripping with tears, and I remember how he punched the wall next to my face, screaming at me to shut up & promising me, that one day it would be my face. He made good on that promise in 2018, when he punched me in the face three times in six weeks. The last time he sent me to the hospital with a TBI. In 2018, was when I had my FIRST Domestic Violence Protection Order against him. Although he had punched me in the face, he had a good lawyer, so the order was only for six months. Since 2018, my daughter’s biological father has had every opportunity to get clean from his drug addiction and receive mental health treatment.

In January of 2022, I filed again for a Domestic Violence Protection Order, the order was granted but before being served with that order he texted me promising me he would find me, he would find my daughter, he would “injure” us, and many other things.

I remembered back to 2014 when he promised one day it would be my face he punched, I remembered my face in 2018. I’ve never experienced fear like that. The thought that he would injure my daughter just to hurt me. He violated that order and was placed on probation in the end of 2022.

In 2023, I filed for another order as he was stalking my residence but not coming onto my property and he had recently been convicted of violating the current order. That additional order was granted for a year. The DVPO ended in February of 2024.

Since then, I’ve hired a lawyer to sue for Full Custody. Despite THREE Domestic Violence Protection Orders, him violating those orders, plenty of picture proof of harassment/stalking/physical abuse, I have had court officials tell me that he still has rights. My daughter’s biological father has not shown up to court in over six months. It’s been SEVEN years of fighting for safety. It’s not fair to my daughter and it’s not fair to me. If you read this far and you’d like to donate to the cause, anything is helpful and appreciated. Anything donated is going directly to my custody lawyer.