Imagine waking up one morning to have your daughters tell you that your husband had been inappropriate with them.

Imagine after your initial shock, pulling out the suitcases and telling your 5 children to pack whatever will fit.  Clothes and necessary items only.

Imagine yourself coming from a broken home and having no family to turn to.

Imagine your fear, your pain, your heartbreak and yet your strength as you load up the car and leave what was once your happy family home with no clue where you are going.

Now don’t imagine.  The above is a true story.  It is the story about one very courageous mother who is trying to protect her children from their abuser.  Let me tell you a little more. This mom was a stay at home, homeschooling mom who dedicated her life to taking care of her children.  Her oldest children are from a previous relationship.  Her youngest three products of her current marriage that she is now in the process of dissolving.  The children range in ages from 3-16.

When her children had the bravery to tell her what had happened to them (I will not disclose details as this is an ongoing case and you wouldn’t want to know them anyway) she did not hesitate to pack them up to leave the house having no job, very little money and no place to go.  She first headed to a shelter.  (She is now staying with friends.)  She is trying her darndest to do the best that she can to take care of these children on her own and so far she is making it, but she could really use some help, our help.

Her husband (the perpetrator) is trying to get shared custody of the children and she is terrified.  With no job and no money she has a very tough fight ahead of her, and the father of these children is doing everything in his power to make sure she will fail.  He has stopped giving her any money to help with the children.  He has stopped making payments on her vehicle.  She spends her days on the phone trying to get help, talking to CPS, the police, attorneys, therapists, going to appointments, taking the kids to therapy, etc.  Her time is filled with trying to get the children the help they need, trying to keep them safe and if she has a few minutes sharing some tears with some friends.  “He has ruined my life,” she told me just this morning.  I managed to not full on cry in front of her kids, just shed a few silent tears, and gave long, long hugs.  I don’t understand how people can sexually abuse children and I am heartbroken for these beautiful children.

This lady is not one to ask for handouts.  She is also the type of person who would give the shirt off her back to help someone in need.  She needs as much help as she can get and so I am telling her story to YOU in hopes that YOU may be able to help her.  She needs monetary help to buy the children groceries, keep her car note current and to pay for therapists and lawyers.  Today she only has enough money to either take her children to therapy OR to pay her lawyer. . .  she doesn’t have enough money for both, and she NEEDS BOTH.  “It’s $600 to pay the therapist to come to court to testify on behalf of the children.” She managed not to cry as she told me this.  She is terrified that the court might some how allow the perpetrator to have contact with the children.  I am terrified too.

In honor of April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month, I am sharing this story in hopes that someone may be able to help.  There is a Youcaring account set up for the family  After the Abuse  I beg you, can you donate even $5 to help this family? If 2000 people could donate $5 this family can win this fight.  Come on $5?  It’s the cost of one trip to Starbucks, and it would mean a future free from a monster for these children.  Please, please if you can help donate.  *(edited: the Go Fund Me Account could not keep the family’s name private so it has been deactivated.  The recipient did receive all the funds that were raised from that page so THANK YOU if you did donate through that link.)*

I am helping as much as I can with monetary support, friendship support, helping use connections to try to find resources, anything I can do, because this is a parent’s worst nightmare and no one should have to fight it alone.  Can you help too?