Support the Struggle for Sam

Hello, my name is Chris Morgan, and I am pleading for your help in supporting our family as we fight a legal battle for the health, well-being, and safety of my son, Samuel.

TL:DR - We are fighting another costly legal battle for Sam's well-being to address the physical and emotional abuse he has suffered in his mother's home. We are also attempting to address many of the other ways that Sam has suffered neglect which include mental health, dental, vision, and other expensive medical needs. We have made many sacrifices so far to get us to this place, but we are at a point where we need additional support to help Sam.

The Full Story

My son Sam is a kind, smart, silly, and loving boy. Unfortunately, despite his sweet nature, he's been forced to endure incredible hardships in his 11 years. Sam has been proven in court to be a victim of physical domestic violence at his mother's home (my ex-wife), in addition to emotional abuse and neglect. These experiences have taught Sam a great amount of compassion, but have also left him emotionally damaged and in need of therapy to help him learn tools to cope with the things he's been through. Despite the abuse he's suffered, his mother has been able to retain primary custody of him. His mother has also opposed our attempts to support him - going so far as to threaten his therapist - and has neglected him in many important ways, resulting in the need for yet another legal battle for his well-being.

I do not speak of casual allegations. Sam's mother was adjudicated as a child abuser in 2020 and was required to complete court-ordered services. Our last legal battle over this issue ended just last year in the summer of 2021.

Right now, Sam is suffering physically and mentally. His mother has never taken him to a dentist. He has not had a well-child visit in years and has had no pediatrician/family doctor for years. Sam has vision issues and needs glasses. His glasses broke at his mother's home, and after months of doing nothing, we took him to an optometrist and paid for new glasses ourselves. We are constantly trying to pick up her slack within the legal boundaries of the divorce decree. To be clear - we have not had the legal authority to take him to the doctor, dentist, etc. without his mother's "final say."

Most importantly, Sam's fear and suffering at his mother's home have led him to suicidal ideation and despair, which requires immediate attention from a qualified mental health professional. Sam's therapist (who saw him for almost two years after his experiences in the juvenile courts) has been forced out of his life by his mother, requiring us to find a new therapist.

The Stakes

I will not mince words. Sam's life is at stake. Nothing in my life prepared me for the confession he gave me that he was contemplating ending his own life - at 11 years old - because he wanted the pain to end.

What We Have Done

Through personal sacrifices and the support of loving family members who care for Sam a great deal, we have fought not only to preserve his relationships with his paternal family but also to get him the necessary care and professional support to deal with his traumatic experiences over the years. This has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars of legal and medical fees. My wife Cassandra and I have also made many personal and career sacrifices so that we could be better able to support him. We have continually been hamstrung by the legal language that prevented us from acting without his abusive mother's consent, in addition to our limited physical custody until just recently. I have watched powerlessly as the tens of thousands of dollars of child support I have sent has not been used to address Sam's needs.

Right now we are staring down the barrel of thousands of dollars in new legal and attorney fees, medical bills, and thousands in court fees associated with securing a Guardian Ad Litem for our case. We spent the majority of our savings putting down money on a house only a few months ago so that we could be closer to Sam. Our families have sacrificed a great deal to support us as well, for which we will forever be grateful. Despite our situation, I could not call myself Sam's father and idly watch him suffer. My wife Cassandra is of the same mind. We have to act, despite the difficulty, and do everything we can for him.

What We Are Doing Now

After a temporary emergency restraining order signed by a judge was executed last week, we have taken full legal custody of Sam while we argue the case for full custody permanently. In the short week since that order was signed we have already found a physician and a dentist and set appointments for him. We are working with the court to get Sam into a new therapist. You have to pay the piper, and we need help covering all of these sudden expenses. Our need is immediate.

What We Need

I humbly beg for help dealing with the costs associated with getting Sam better. We are already moving on doing what we can, and the bills are already coming in. We need help as soon as you can give it.

Your donation will go towards the following:

Any support in this matter means that we will be better able to save Sam from the nightmare he's dealing with. It means that I will still be able to keep my family afloat and support them with all the essentials of life.

In short, donating here is the most meaningful thing you could ever do for me. I will forever be grateful for everyone who donates as much as even a single dollar to help me save Sam.

Whatever you can donate, large or small, please help us fight for Sam's well-being. Help us protect him and get him the help he needs.