Donate today to help a mother fight for her child

MIRAC, MIM, and Indigenous Roots are fundraising to support an immigrant mother fighting for the custody of her young daughter against a system that favors money over love. We have changed names to protect the identity and safety of the mother and her daughter in the story below. We aim to raise $5,000 to help with attorney fees. We need to hire an attorney immediately for an upcoming hearing.

My name is 'Maly' and I am a mother crying out for justice. I want to share my story. I am a single mother of two daughters. My oldest daughter is 22 years old and working towards her doctorate at a Minnesota college. She was born shortly after I arrived from Cambodia and I raised her on my own. I am proud of the woman she has become.

My youngest daughter, 'Dara', is six years old. She spent her first three years of life with me and no involvement from her father. I helped her get early support for speech and learning and she is now a smart first grader. We were a small and happy family.

A few years ago, Dara's dad came into her life. Shortly after, he began to make false allegations against me. He told Child Protective Services that I was an unfit mother, that my home was dirty, and that I didn't provide enough food or clothing for my daughter. None of this is true. CPS visited my home and found the allegations to be false, but the court doesn't seem to care.

I am at risk of losing all custody of my daughter because I haven't been able to afford a lawyer to help me. Dara's dad has the money to spend to get the court on his side. I haven't been able to see my daughter for over a month. I love my daughter and all I want is to be with her. She has always been a happy and healthy girl when she was with me. I feel like I'm being punished because I don't have money for a lawyer and I am not fluent in English, though I do my best to communicate.

I am asking for help to get my daughter back. I want a fair chance in court and I haven't had that without a lawyer. I know it will be very expensive. I hope to raise at least $5,000 to help cover some of the attorney fees. Please help me fight for my daughter.