Fighting for a Better Future

At the urging of several friends, I'm reluctantly doing a fundraiser. For several years, my legal bills to protect my daughter were more than I made in a year of working full time, and that has affected every area of our lives in many ways.

Last year, I was forced to go through a trial without representation due to our financial situation. I was also unable to find counsel in Douglas County who didn't have a conflict of interest. In December, I lost custody completely of my daughter after 9 years of being her primary caregiver and residential parent strictly due to my lack of legal representation. I was unable to present a case or have evidence reviewed for why my daughter should stay where she's been since birth. I feel like I failed her in an unforgivable way in that courtroom.

Immediately following that judgement, my visitation was illegally withheld, and without representation, I couldn't do anything about it.

To say this has been the most unimaginably hard year on myself and my sweet girl is putting it mildly. The guilt and pain I feel watching her go through this is indescribable.

Thanks to help from a good friend and those of you who bought work directly from the studio, I've been able to secure a new attorney and stay afloat, but need to immediately pay a "small" bill of $5437 to the Guardian ad Litem. I also need to ensure I can keep my current attorney retained. I'm still slowly paying off my last attorney who isn't practicing anymore, and have whittled that bill down to $14,000. We've been borrowing a car since ours was totaled, but need to return it soon. This fundraiser will help prevent losing anything else or any more time with my daughter, so I can get her back where she needs to be.

Before I fully rely on the gofundme my friends have encouraged (because, let's face it, everyone is being asked to donate to a lot of worthy causes during this administration's dismantling of our country,) I would also like to try and raise funds through some of the works I have available. I have pieces on view in two local locations right now which I'm putting on sale: Edward Jones Financial Gallery and Mass St. Fish House. I'll have those updated on my website soon.

I'm immensely thankful for everyone who has helped us through this and shared resources, hugs, gallons of coffee, and a community safety net. You have all kept me grounded and kept hope alive.