Hello everyone, my name is Kaitlyn Todd. I am 21 years old and in January 2020 I welcomed my baby girl, the love of my life, Genevieve, into the world. From the moment I met her, I knew that I would fight to protect her in every way I could. Unfortunately, only a few months into her life, the global pandemic reached our town. With this extra stress on top of adjusting to being a new mom, there was so much change and unpredictability, and it was all so overwhelming for me. In late September, I sought help for my mental health, so I could be the best mom I could be for Genevieve. Shortly after getting help, the baby’s father and I had a falling out and broke up. Now we are fighting for custody.

My daughter and I have been separated since October. Ideally mediation and communication can mend situations like this, but unfortunately for my daughter and I, our situation requires that we settle everything in court with a seasoned lawyer. Due to a general lack of information in our society about managing mental health, and inadequate representation of people who struggle with this, my visitation window is extremely limited and with the help of the new representation, I pray for 50/50 custody in the upcoming hearing.

All of my savings and emergency funds I have are going toward legal action to protect my daughter like I promised I would. I am working full time and seeking further employment opportunities, but it is just not enough for the level of legal support I need to fight this case.

No one likes needing the help from their friends and family like this, but I will do anything for Genevieve. The support that you may provide me with means everything to me, as she means everything to me.

Any and all contributions will greatly assist me in reconnecting with my daughter. This money will fund an appropriate lawyer who will be able to fight properly for my rights as a mother, and increase my time with her.

Here is the break down of where your monetary support is going: Within the next two weeks I need to have $6000 for the initial retainer fees, so my new lawyer can start on my case and can ensure all documents are submitted in the appropriate timeline before we go back to court- I also owe my previous lawyer $3000 for the first court meeting we had in November. I will need this new lawyer’s representation for my next upcoming court date in January. The other $2,500 will cover the rest of what my case will take to complete in January outside of the initial retainer fees.

Anything you can give to help with these fees and help me continue to have the support and representation I need would be a blessing. Being separated from my daughter for this stretch of time has been the most agonizing experience I have ever had; I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I was her caregiver for the first 9 months of her life, and to then be denied any access to her with only minimal visitation after seeking out help has been completely heartbreaking. Being separated from her is like losing a part of myself, like losing a piece of my heart and my soul. If you can donate any amount of money or share my story, I appreciate that more than you know. Having such a loving community that has already opened their hearts to me has changed my life and I am so grateful and astonished for all of the support thus far. Thank you for every share and every donation. -Much love, Kaitlyn-