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Separated Dad Needs Prosthetic Leg



A few weeks ago my colleague, Jen Miller, and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to the Texas/Mexico border to provide legal assistance to parents who had been separated from their children under the administration's zero tolerance policy. We spent a week working at Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) with detained parents who were still separated from their kids past the reunification deadline mandated by the court.

During our week at PIDC we had the pleasure of meeting Edar - a 39-year-old father from Honduras who is disabled. Edar came to the United States out of desperation because he has had his current prosthetic leg for over a decade and it's no longer functioning. He is unable to properly walk, work, provide for his family, or afford a new prosthetic leg. Finding and affording the necessary medical care in Honduras is all but impossible.

Edar entered the US at the height of zero tolerance with his adorable 5-year-old son Edar Jr. Upon entry, they were forcibly separated and Edar Jr. was taken to a children's detention center in Arizona.  His dad was transferred several times to various detention centers around the country without his son. Eventually, he was told he was headed to PIDC to finally be reunified with Edar Jr. but that didn't happen for weeks and each passing day was excruciating for Edar knowing his 5-year-old was alone. 

When we met Edar he was approaching 4 months of being separated from his son. I will never forget helping him connect with Edar Jr. over the phone and seeing him smile and tear up at the sound of his little voice. He asked him about what he was learning, gave him some math problems, and told him to behave and be good for the detention workers. He told him how much he loved him. It was heartbreaking. 

Before our week of work at PIDC ended Jen and I helped advocate for Edar and Edar Jr. to be reunited and released.  We left on Friday and by Saturday I received a call from Edar that he and Edar Jr. were back together and in a Texas church shelter. We were able to help get them to Mississippi where they had a friend who would be helping them. 

Edar has no criminal history and no bad intentions. He simply wanted the chance to live a better life and to provide a better life for his wife and children. Edar and Edar Jr. have been given until January to stay in the United States. Edar Jr. has started kindergarten and although still suffering from some mental health issues since the separation is thriving now that he is back with his favorite person - his dad. 

HELP EDAR GET A PROSTHETIC LEG

Edar was able to get a cost estimate for a new prosthetic leg. Something that he is in desperate need of and that he would be thrilled to get before having to go back to Honduras in January.  The cost is $15,000. He has nothing even close to that amount to pay the out of pocket expense. 

After everything that Edar and his son have been through, I hope that we can raise the money for him to live a better life and provide a better life for his son. They are deserving of our help. 

Thank you so much for considering donating to Edar for his new prosthetic leg. Many of you have asked me what you can do to help during this border crisis and this is a way to directly impact a family that was part of so much unnecessary pain and suffering. 

No amount is too small and all will go directly to paying Edar's medical bills.  THANK YOU!
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Donations 

  • Nicola Hill
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Maria Kutnick
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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