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Saturday, September 26, 2009
Our Story
This site is dedicated to bringing my daughter, M'kaila Denae' home. Our family has been a victim of the injustice that is all to often found in family court.
M'kaila is my first born child and only daughter. My pride and joy! She is 8 years old going on 18, very scary! What a wonderful little girl she is though. Beautiful inside and out. M'kaila has a sense of humor that is sure to keep a smile on your face. The things this girl comes up with just amazes me!
She is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to things she enjoys. The only girly-girl tom-boy I've ever met! M'kaila could be in baking a cake with you one minute and out making a mud pie the next. There's just no telling with her. I've always encouraged her to try different things so seeing her try everything from gymnastics and cheerleading to soccer and surfing makes me proud.
M'kaila's father and I separated just before her 2nd birthday. Up to that point her father was working and going to school so I was basically a single mom raising M'kaila on my own so our separation didn't yield much of a change in lifestyle for her and I. After the separation she lived with me and saw her father every other weekend. I chose not to file for custody in the court in an attempt to keep things easy for M'kaila.
In January, 2006 her father decided to sign over his rights to M'kaila after allegations arose of beatings and molestation. The relinquishment of his rights was signed and notarized on March 31st, 2006. Within the relinquishment paperwork it clearly states that he has 11 days to revoke the relinquishment and regain his rights to her. He took more than 3 months to change his mind and the judge allowed it. From there I was not served with the notification of a court hearing trying to give him back his rights. Due to my failure to appear the judge gave her father full custody based on a default judgment.
On October 6th, 2006 the police came to my door and within 30 minutes ripped my daughter from my arms and dragged her kicking and screaming to her father. By this point her father had not seen nor spoke to M'kaila in over 10 months. She was scared to death. Not only was she taken from the only parent she's ever really known, but also her new baby brother, her step-dad who she thought of as a father as well as all her friends in school.
Since she was taken I have only been allowed to see her once and this was during a social study in the county courthouse. Our visit, although priceless, was very short. I was granted supervised visitation within the confines of a facility most commonly used by parents who beat their children, use drugs or are a serious flight risk. I am none of these. In order for me to take advantage of my visitation her father must complete his paperwork and interview at this facility. He has not so I am once again at his mercy. M'kaila does not understand this.
I use to call her every night, faithfully. This was not only for her sake, I must admit, it was for me as well. I just had to hear her voice. Every conversation although wonderful, always ended the same way, with M'kaila begging me to come get her and take her home, sometimes crying and sometimes not, but always the same clear message. She begs me to at least come see her not understanding that I can't, simply because her father refuses to comply with the orders and complete his obligations. As of last week I am no longer able to even call her. Her father has broken the orders once again and changed his number and blocked me from being able to email him. I now have no contact with M'kaila. What must she be thinking? M'kaila's step-mother is hispanic and has strong ties to Mexico. They have taken M'kaila there on vacation once already, but my biggest fear is that they'll flee with her and she'll be gone forever.
My goal in creating this site is to not only get my story out there, but to also raise funds and signatures. My legal costs are outrageous. So much so that my attorney has stopped representing me because I cannot afford the cost. I have run the well dry and have nothing else to tap into. I will have to go to litigation and as I have been told that will cost at least $15,000. I don't have that kind of money.
Since when does your wealth or poverty define what kind of parent you are? I am a wonderful mom to my children, just not a rich one.
I hope you enjoy my site and find it in your heart to help. Help does not always come in the form of money. Your words of encouragement, personal stories and petition signature are always welcomed forms of help and support. If however you are able to help monetarily, please click the 'Make a Donation' link. Every little bit helps.
Posted by Crystal at 7:10 PM 0 comments
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