Operation: Help Shuhan
Spende geschützt
Dear Family and Friends,
We are humbly asking for your help. In January 2018, we took Shuhan in to our home. She was a quiet and timid 10 year old who had been bounced around from babysitter to babysitter since arriving from China at 4 1/2 years old. She ended up on a friend’s doorstep after her biological mother put her out on the street. It was December 23, 2017, a cold and rainy night when we first met. She had no coat or socks. We spoke for a little while and I gave her my number and told her she could contact me anytime. When our friend brought her back to her bio mom, she asked our friend if she wanted her but she couldn’t take her. My friend told her that I had met Shuhan and within the week, bio mom reached out to us to see if we would meet her and her boyfriend. We went to meet with them and they told us that they are looking for a home for her or she would be returning to China. What choice did we have? Leave her in unfavorable living conditions or end up in foster care...we couldn’t do it. She deserved a chance. While we did not know her, we were confident she would be a great addition to our family, that we could make it work, and took her into our home with absolutely nothing. Through the next few months, she got acclimated to our home and lifestyle and we began our journey as a family. She opened our hearts and we did hers. We brought up her self esteem and Shuhan made honor roll, her English improved, and she began to smile. It wasn’t long into our relationship that we knew we wanted her to be our daughter as she looked to us as her parents, she started to call us mom and dad.
Bio mom gave us custody until her adoption was finalized and had agreed to provide us with the information we need to proceed with adopting her. We could not do so without certain information that she was withholding and there’s nothing we could do. We have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to move forward. Bio mom would not respond to requests and there was nothing we could do. Several incidents occurred over the last few months that required us to contact the authorities which led to DCP&P opening an investigation against bio mom. Since then, we have had to hire a new attorney, as most do not want to handle DCP&P cases. She needs psychological evaluations and therapy-all at our own expense. That being said, it has become financially draining. New legal fees will be another $15,000-$20,000, not including the retainer fees that we have already paid and spent. We just opened a new business and as many of you know, kids are expensive, especially without medical insurance. We haven’t be able to add her to our policy without her information. We have paid for everything she needs out of pocket from food/clothes to school supplies, doctor and dentist visits, and glasses.
New legal expenses are breaking the bank. We are asking our family, friends, and anyone who will help us so that Shuhan can live the life she deserves. We are hopeful to raise enough funds to get into court by next month.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our story and support us in this journey. We know it’s the holidays. If you can spare a few dollars, your generosity will never be forgotten. We will never give up on loving, caring, and protecting Shuhan. She is the greatest blessing we could ever ask for. She is our daughter. We love her and she loves us....Love is all you need to make a family.
Happy Holidays!
Love,
The Pinho Family
Happy Holidays!
Love,
The Pinho Family
We are humbly asking for your help. In January 2018, we took Shuhan in to our home. She was a quiet and timid 10 year old who had been bounced around from babysitter to babysitter since arriving from China at 4 1/2 years old. She ended up on a friend’s doorstep after her biological mother put her out on the street. It was December 23, 2017, a cold and rainy night when we first met. She had no coat or socks. We spoke for a little while and I gave her my number and told her she could contact me anytime. When our friend brought her back to her bio mom, she asked our friend if she wanted her but she couldn’t take her. My friend told her that I had met Shuhan and within the week, bio mom reached out to us to see if we would meet her and her boyfriend. We went to meet with them and they told us that they are looking for a home for her or she would be returning to China. What choice did we have? Leave her in unfavorable living conditions or end up in foster care...we couldn’t do it. She deserved a chance. While we did not know her, we were confident she would be a great addition to our family, that we could make it work, and took her into our home with absolutely nothing. Through the next few months, she got acclimated to our home and lifestyle and we began our journey as a family. She opened our hearts and we did hers. We brought up her self esteem and Shuhan made honor roll, her English improved, and she began to smile. It wasn’t long into our relationship that we knew we wanted her to be our daughter as she looked to us as her parents, she started to call us mom and dad.
Bio mom gave us custody until her adoption was finalized and had agreed to provide us with the information we need to proceed with adopting her. We could not do so without certain information that she was withholding and there’s nothing we could do. We have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to move forward. Bio mom would not respond to requests and there was nothing we could do. Several incidents occurred over the last few months that required us to contact the authorities which led to DCP&P opening an investigation against bio mom. Since then, we have had to hire a new attorney, as most do not want to handle DCP&P cases. She needs psychological evaluations and therapy-all at our own expense. That being said, it has become financially draining. New legal fees will be another $15,000-$20,000, not including the retainer fees that we have already paid and spent. We just opened a new business and as many of you know, kids are expensive, especially without medical insurance. We haven’t be able to add her to our policy without her information. We have paid for everything she needs out of pocket from food/clothes to school supplies, doctor and dentist visits, and glasses.
New legal expenses are breaking the bank. We are asking our family, friends, and anyone who will help us so that Shuhan can live the life she deserves. We are hopeful to raise enough funds to get into court by next month.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our story and support us in this journey. We know it’s the holidays. If you can spare a few dollars, your generosity will never be forgotten. We will never give up on loving, caring, and protecting Shuhan. She is the greatest blessing we could ever ask for. She is our daughter. We love her and she loves us....Love is all you need to make a family.
Happy Holidays!
Love,
The Pinho Family
Happy Holidays!
Love,
The Pinho Family
Organisator
Lee-Ann Pinho
Organisator
Bayonne, NJ
