This story starts three years ago when a young mother of 2 left her abuser. Kayla was 18yo at the time, and she has a daughter that was (3yo) at the time along with a six-month-old son that she shared with her then live-in boyfriend. The couple lived in Cannonsburg with her boyfriend’s mother (child’s grandmother). One day the young mother finally summoned the courage to leave her extremely abusive relationship. However, the boyfriend’s mother called the police and refused to let her take her son. The mother, Kayla, had no home, car, or job at the time. She did leave and started from nothing. The following week, the grandmother filed a PFA on the mother, Kayla. They fabricated an absurd story that Kayla went to their residence and threatened them. Kayla had no legal representation. She was scared and intimidated. She had a complicated life and upbringing and had to drop out of middle school among other horrific experiences.
Despite the bio, father, and grandmother being convicted felons, and their story changed numerous times, the PFA was granted. So for months, Kayla could not even see her 6 months old son. Before the PFA expired, Kayla filed for custody. Kalya was denied legal aid because the grandmother and babys father used them first (in an attempt to bar Kayla from getting a state represented attorney) because it creates a conflict of interest. Well it unformtunately worked and they would not appoint Kayla a lawyer.
She was eventually able to find a lawyer that would work with her. We have been scraping money together to help pay for this but it has been very difficult as you can imagine. This is the main reason we need help. We are now 2.5 years into this battle and due to judge incompetence and a corrupt grandmother hellbent on keeping custody, Kayla has seen her now 3 year old few and far between. Every other week its a fabricated story about either covid exposure or grandmother just flat out refusing to let her see her son. When Kayla does, the grandmother insists on video check ins and other ridiculous things that are unheard of in a custody hearing after the mother has been proven fit to parent her child.
After leaving Kayla was quick to get back on her feet. She now has a house job and a car. She thought it would be easy to get her son back. Unfourturety, thats not the case at all. The bio grandmother was hell-bent on keeping her child and getting revenge because she left her son. The bio father is a drug addict and overdosed many times after the break-up. The bio father is not allowed around the child and has dropped out of the custody case. The grandmother has done everything in her power to maintain control and keep the temporary custody that she has. The grandmother has been in contempt of court ten times in the past year. She has been guilty of contempt but to this day has not had one consequence from the court, Not even a fine. Because of her stall tactics, this case is dragging on with minimal progress. Currently, there is a shared custody order in place. It’s not being followed at all. In the last two months, she only had three visits because the 3-year-old allegedly had covid. There is one excuse after the next. To this day, the bio mother has not had one overnight visit. They have all been canceled. Shortly after this started, the young mother retained a local lawyer,, and she desperately needs help paying her. The bio dad, who is court-ordered to stay away from his child lives in the house is an IV drug user. CYS has been called many times, and the grandmother has lied, claiming that he lives at multiple different addresses. Police reports were obtained and, the reports we ruled inadmissible because they are "hearsay". The judge has some sort of bias or just doesn't want to be bothered with this case and its the mother and child who are losing. This situation keeps getting worse, the grandmother is flat out refusing kayla of her custody. She has made one excuse after another. The grandmother has gotten away with everything to this point. The grandmother has many reasons to keep custody, she gets welfare cash assistance, food stamps, and an additional room on her hud housing voucher. She has never had a job and is a convicted felon. Kayla dosnt have any family to help and has been fighting for 3 years and only better herself and her life to be able to care for her children. She is in desperate need of donations to her lawyer to help win this fight.
Anything you can donate will be greatly appreciated.
